DNA matches, CCTV analysis and blood swabs lead to prison sentences for Doncaster burglars

DNA matches, blood swabs and CCTV analysis - all these tactics helped the Operation Castle team arrest, charge and secure criminal convictions against two residential burglars in Doncaster.

Op Castle is Doncaster's dedicated and detective-led response to burglaries of people's homes in the city.

It incorporates a team of detectives who gather vital intelligence of burglars' movements and behaviours, recognising patterns of offending and gaining knowledge of prolific offenders.

It has resulted in residential burglary rates in Doncaster falling and now two more offenders have been jailed following extensive investigations by the Op Castle team.

Connor Glen's offending saw him commit a series of '2-in-1' burglaries, which is when a thief breaks into a person's home specifically to steal their car keys.

However, he was caught out when detectives were able to analyse CCTV to track his movements, with a search of his home address leading to officers recovering a full tracksuit which matched what he was wearing in CCTV footage.

Forensics teams also recovered blood from inside the property which was swabbed and matched his DNA profile.

When Glen was arrested, officers found two BMW fobs belonging to cars he had stolen, along with sentimental jewellery he had taken from a property he had raided.

Glen, 27, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and four counts of theft of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison during a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday 27 March.

Paddy Rooney was also jailed and given a prison sentence for committing a burglary, driving while disqualified and driving a motor vehicle which has been taken without the owner's consent.

Rooney, 21, of Florence Avenue, Balby, was intercepted by officers shortly after raiding a home in Doncaster in February 2026.

He tried to flee when approached by officers and was seen to hide a screwdriver in a bush before he was detained.

Analysis of CCTV footage showed Rooney getting out of a stolen Mercedes and last Wednesday (1 April), he pleaded guilty to all the charges he faced.

Detective Constable Mark Parry said:

"The Operation Castle team has a significant amount of knowledge regarding prolific burglars in Doncaster and the ways in which they tend to operate.

"It means that rather than looking at burglary cases as isolated incidents, we look at a series of events and are often able to make a connection to one serial offender.

"We devote countless hours to investigating offences and securing justice for victims as we know just how devastating and impactful burglaries are.

"It's an invasive crime and a violation of people's privacy so it's really encouraging to see that these two offenders have been jailed and I hope this serves as a stern warning for anyone thinking of committing burglaries in Doncaster. We will identify you, we will investigate you and we will bring you to justice."