A prolific car key burglar who stole vehicles worth more than £340,000 during a seven-month crime wave across the West Midlands has been brought to justice.
Prolific Offender Identified and Arrested
Brayden Page, aged 22, admitted to a string of offences after being identified by the Solihull Neighbourhood Crime Team. The team had been investigating multiple car key burglaries in the area.
Page, originally from Shard End, was arrested from an address in the area on Monday, 15 December. He was subsequently charged with multiple theft of motor vehicle and burglary offences.
Court Appearance and Guilty Pleas
The defendant appeared before Coventry Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 16 December. During the hearing, he pleaded guilty to eight burglary offences and 13 theft of motor vehicle offences.
West Midlands Police confirmed the total value of the stolen vehicles and related thefts exceeded £340,000. The crimes were committed between April and May this year, not only in Solihull but also in Oldbury, Staffordshire, and Leicestershire.
Page, who is currently of no fixed address, was remanded in custody following his court appearance. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Police Reaction and Community Impact
Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Charlie Edwards from the Solihull Neighbourhood Crime Team highlighted the impact of Page's actions. "Page was prolific in stealing numerous vehicles from Solihull residents," DC Edwards stated.
"Thankfully, following investigative work and help from the community, we were able to identify Page as the offender and lock him up."
The detective emphasised the serious consequences of such crimes, noting: "Vehicle crime can affect livelihoods as people rely on their vehicles for work and responsibilities. Across his seven month crime spree, Page targeted innocent residents and now is rightfully behind bars."
Police reiterated their commitment to tackling vehicle crime, stating officers will always seek to arrest those involved and work to return stolen vehicles to their rightful owners.
