Friday 3rd May 2024

Sussex Alerts - Eastbourne Police

Male arrested and charged following pharmacy burglaries

A man has been charged following his arrest for two reports of robberies at pharmacies in Pevensey and Eastbourne.

The 42-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of two counts of robbery at Boots Pharmacy in Eastbourne Road, Pevensey, and at Kamsons Pharmacy in Victoria Drive, Eastbourne, on Saturday (27 April).

A man was reported to gone into both stores telling staff that he had a knife and demanding drugs. He left empty handed from Boots pharmacy when he was challenged by a customer but took drugs from Kamsons Pharmacy. No one was hurt.

Chief Inspector Nicklin said: “Whilst we understand that incidents like this are traumatic for staff, we have made visits to pharmacies in the area to provide crime prevention advice and reassurance. We have worked hard to quickly identify the suspect and promptly make an arrest.”

Two days after his arrest he was charged with robbery at Kamsons Pharmacy in Victoria Drive, Eastbourne, attempted robbery at Boots Pharmacy in Eastbourne Road and also being in possession of a knife in a public place and will appear in court in the coming weeks.

Man sentenced for fatal hit and run

A speeding driver killed a pedestrian at a zebra crossing then drove away and covered the damage to his vehicle.

The 27-year-old, a student formerly of Compton Street, Eastbourne reached an estimated 52mph in a 30mph zone driving in a Lexus in Upperton Road, Eastbourne, where he failed to stop for a 75-year-old man who was crossing the road, after striking the male, he drove away and did not report the collision to police.

Tragically, the victim died as a result of his injuries.

At Lewes Crown Court on April 25, the driver appeared for sentencing after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for 6 years and was disqualified from driving for 8 years.

The court was told how the incident happened in Upperton Road, Eastbourne, at 7.45pm on July 26 last year.

The driver left the scene and did not report the accident, the next morning he went to a shop to buy a cover for his vehicle which he had parked at the rear of his property.

Officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit and Roads Policing Unit gathered evidence including CCTV evidence which showed the incident, where the driver was traced and arrested 16 hours after the collision.

At interview he claimed he had not been speeding, and claimed he was sure the collision was not his fault and also claimed he intended to hand himself in to the police.

His phone was seized, and it showed he had searched for “hit and run collision UK law” before deleting the history.

A collision report showed he was speeding, with estimates suggesting he was travelling at between 45mph and 52mph in a 30mph zone, had he have been travelling at the speed limit, the collision would not have happened.

Detective Inspector Barawi, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This was a complex case which involved a large number of police officers and staff who worked tirelessly to identify the vehicle and driver involved.

“This was followed up by my team of detectives and investigators who conducted a thorough investigation and established exactly what happened that day.

“This outcome is an example of hard work, determination, and good investigation to ensure that justice is served. No matter how someone may try and evade responsibility for their actions, we will find you, and you will face the consequences.

“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family, who have acted with the utmost dignity throughout this ordeal.”

Burglary advice as we head into warmer months

How protecting your garden makes your home safer:

It may not seem obvious, but protecting your garden and outbuildings like sheds not only keeps bikes and other valuables safe, but can also stop burglars accessing tools to get into your home.

Low front boundary; keep hedges and walls at the front of your house low (under one metre) so burglars have nowhere to hide.

Secure side gate; keep side gates locked at all times. Open gates mean burglars can easily access your home without being seen by passers-by or neighbours.

High side and rear boundaries with trellis and spiky defensive planting; keep hedges, walls and fences around your back garden high (over 1.8 metres). Add lightweight trellis to gates and fences and plant some prickly plants to make it harder for burglars to climb over.

Gravel driveway and path; gravel driveways and paths make it harder for burglars to go undetected.

Security light; install an outside security light so that intruders can’t approach without being seen.

Intruder alarm system; install a burglar alarm system.

Secure your shed; always keep your shed locked and secured, and make sure it is anchored down to prevent it from being lifted in order to gain access. Often sheds contain valuables such as power tools and bicycles.

Never leave tools lying around; never leave tools lying around as they can be used as a way of breaking into your home.

Stay secure in summer:

Leaving ground floor windows, doors and patio doors open in the summer can give burglars the perfect opportunity.  If you’re upstairs or out of the room, even just for a few minutes, close them and help shut burglars out.

Extra steps you can take:

Consider buying a shed alarm. These are usually quite cheap but still effective.

Add an extra layer of protection to shed windows with laminate sheets of film or internal metal grills.

Create a natural defence against burglary:

Planting particular shrubs (in their mature or semi mature form) along garden walls and fences can make it harder for burglars to access your property or put them off completely. To maximise this effect plant them close to each other.

Live in a ground floor flat or share a communal garden, you can still make use of these tips by planting in front of ground floor windows to prevent easy access.

Click, Call, Connect

For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click www.sussex.police.uk,  (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call).

Call 101 when you don’t require an urgent response. 

In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.