Dead dad's ashes and OBE certificate stolen as part of £170,000 haul after high-value house raids across Sunderland and South Tyneside

The ashes, which were in an urn, were taken from a house that was burgled and ransacked and left the deceased man's daughter, who had cherished them after his death, completely"devastated".

Newcastle Crown Court heard the house, where £15,000 of property was taken, along with the urn, was just one that was targeted during a spate of professional break-ins and thefts.

At one property, where a doctor and his family lived, a five-figure sum in cash was stolen along with designer accessories and a £22,000 Range Rover.

Property taken from other homes included an OBE certificate, war documents and irreplaceable jewellery belonging to victims' late relatives.

The court heard a black Range Rover was stolen from an address in Cleadon, in March last year along with £36,000 cash, quantities of jewellery and various bank cards.

The vehicle was later found to have been used by Steven Crombie and his associates to commit a number of other crimes, with the offenders using a number of stolen registration plates to avoid detection.

Crombie went on to burgle several more homes in May and June 2018, stealing hundreds of valuable and sentimental items including ornamental swords, a Paul Reed Smith guitar and a Queen’s OBE award which was given to the victim’s grandfather 65 years ago.

A decorative urn containing the ashes of another victim’s deceased father was also stolen from a property in Houghton, which remains outstanding.

But when Crombie cut himself as he smashed his way into an address in Woodstone Village, County Durham, on May 9 last year, he inadvertently left blood at the scene that later came back as a forensic match.

On June 11, just three days after another burglary in Whitburn, Crombie was seen entering a pawnbroker in Newcastle with girlfriend Robinson. The pair were found to be in possession of some of the stolen jewellery, which they sold for £738.50.

Judge Edward Bindloss has now jailed Crombie and another man who admitted being involved in a burglary conspiracy and one woman who handled the stolen proceeds.

Crombie, 41, of Hampstead Road, Sunderland, admitted conspiracy to burgle, burglary, (in relation to five house raids) and theft and has been jailed for seven years and two months.

Brandon Meah, 20, of Rutland Street, Sunderland, admitted conspiracy to burgle, in relation to three house raids, and has been jailed for three years and seven months.

Crombie's then girlfriend Cheryl Robinson, 41, of Otley Avenue Middelsbrough, who lived with him in his "Aladdin's cave" of stolen property during the conspiracy, helped sell on some of the stolen jewellery and even organised a storage unit for it, admitted handling stolen goods.

She has been jailed for 22 months.

Meah's girlfriend Laura Churchill, 20, of Rutland Street, Sunderland, admitted assisting and offender by hiring a van to transport some of the stolen belongings.

She was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 150 hours unpaid work.

Crombie's brother-in-law Keith Patterson, 49, of Yewtree Avenue, Sunderland, admitted looking after some stolen cash for a few days and pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property.

He was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 100 hours unpaid work.

Judge Bindloss said the late dad's ashes that were taken from the daughter are "gone forever".

The judge added: "Many of the victims feel a sense of violation, concern and worry.

"There was loss of valuable items, there was inconvenience both to business and family life.

"There was a feeling from some of being unsafe in their own home.

"One spoke of the dread of going home.

"A common feature is previous, sentimental and irreplaceable family items and gifts were gone and there was significant emotional harm at the loss."

The court heard some of the stolen property was returned to the owners but many are still deprived of their precious property, that can never be replaced.

Prosecutor Richard Holland said as well as expensive property, highly sentimental possessions were taken during the raids.

Mr Holland told the court: "There were a spate of house burglaries and car thefts in the late Spring and summer last year in Sunderland.

"Most involved high value property or high value motor vehicles and personal number plates.

"The Crown say they were targeted and professional in nature."

Mr Holland told the court the ashes were taken during an early evening break-in that left the couple who lived their "sick to the pit of the stomach".

The victim said her father, who she was very close to, had died three years before and the ashes gave her comfort after his passing.

She said in a statement: "My father's ashes were given to me, which was a huge comfort and helped with my grieving.

"When my father's ashes were stolen it stopped my grieving process.

"I cannot put into words how devastated I feel.