Burglar has HOME taken away from him as he's ordered to pay his victims back £250,000

A convicted burglar who made more than half a million pounds from his crimes has had his home taken away from him in order to pay his victims back.

Thomas Mee, 45, was ordered by the court to pay £249,012.17 within the next three months - or face a further two years imprisonment.

The sum was determined from equity within Mee’s home in Liverpool which will be sold.

The 45-year-old was sentenced to eight years and seven months in prison in July 2020 at Chester Crown Court.

Cheshire Police

Mee worked as part of a criminal gang who stole more than £600,000 from at least 14 burglaries across Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire between November 2018 and October 2019, targeting homes in affluent areas.

Items stolen included watches, designer handbags and jewellery costing more than half-a-million pounds.

Mee was caught in October 2019 after police received a 999 calling saying he had been broken in to a property in Prestbury, and was arrested after trying to flee the property.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and three counts of handling stolen goods.

Cheshire Police

A spokesperson from Cheshire Constabulary's SOCU said: “This is the perfect example of how crime does not pay and shows the lengths we will go to in order to target those who have profited from crime.

“Not only was Mee handed a lengthy prison sentence, but he also now must pay back every penny he made from his illegal exploits.

“POCA orders allow us to recoup all of criminal’s benefit from crime - by not only ensuring that criminals are locked behind bars, we are able to also ensure that they cannot enjoy any money received once a sentence is served.

“This money will now be repaid to the victims and will not be ploughed back into criminality.

"We will do all we can to ensure that criminals operating in Cheshire are unable to profit from their crimes and will work with our partners and the Crown Prosecution Service to use all available powers at our disposal."