Burglar who broke into Hemel home in facemask and cap jailed

Alexsandre Kitesovi, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years and four months at Chichester Crown Court on Friday, October 11, for three counts of burglary and one attempted burglary.

After waking the residents during the Hemel Hempstead burglary, he fled out of a bathroom window. However, he left his facemask and cap behind. Herts Police, Hampshire Constabulary, and Surrey Police investigated and say the clothing offered valuable DNA evidence.

Two days earlier, on August 30, 2023, the 42-year-old had stolen an estimated £30,000 in jewellery and £700 in cash at an address in Whitchurch, Hampshire. CCTV showed an unknown man approach the property, first bare-faced and then with a facemask and gloves.

Alexsandre Kitesovi, 42, of no fixed address. (Image: Surrey Police) Two weeks later, there was an attempted burglary in Guildford where he tried to open a door before moving off.

In both cases he was seen on CCTV and officers could tell it was the same man but his identity “remained a mystery”, Surrey Police explained.

On 22 September 2023, he struck again in Hampshire, this time leaving DNA on a kitchen window handle at an address in Hook, near Basingstoke.

Kitesovi was arrested in London in November 2023, at which point his DNA was added to the National Database and matched to the crime scenes.

Surrey Police’s Investigating officer Richard Ashton said: “Criminals may think that by moving around across county lines they increase their odds of avoiding detection when actually they are simply increasing the number of people out to get them.

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“Thanks to the joint working of three forces and the sharing of intelligence and evidence on national systems, we were able to identify Kitesovi as being the man responsible for multiple offences and put him before the courts.”

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary Detective Constable Steve Jake added: “Breaking into someone’s home and stealing their property is an intrusive crime which causes immeasurable distress to its victims, and we do not underestimate the impact that this has on those who are affected.

“We work really hard to ensure that those who commit these crimes face the consequences of their actions.”