Serial Doncaster teen burglar who raided homes and stole cars jailed

Detectives who are part of a dedicated team responsible for investigating burglaries in Doncaster have put prolific offender Benjamin McManus behind bars.

18-year-old McManus, who raided five properties and stole five cars during a series of break-ins, was arrested by officers in November 2024 on suspicion of a burglary offence.

Forensic analysis of his mobile phone linked him to a number of previous burglaries committed in October 2024.

Detective Constable Ellen Hoszowski is part of the Operation Castle team which was set up to provide a dedicated and detective-led response to incidents of burglary in Doncaster.

She was the officer in charge of this case and explains how detectives were able to link MacManus to a series of burglaries after his arrest.

"Operation Castle has shown us the benefit of looking at burglary cases as a possible series of events rather than isolated incidents as we know some offenders are responsible for multiple crimes rather than just the one.

"In this case, forensic work enabled us to establish MacManus as a serial burglar in which he raided multiple homes and stole four cars.

"Phone work showed that MacManus had searched the internet for 'free car check reports' on the vehicles he had stolen, suggesting he planned to sell them on.

"Many of the stolen vehicles were recovered, with one of them purchased for £500 after being stolen by MacManus.

"He showed absolutely no regard for the damage he'd caused his victims in raiding their homes and then stealing their prized possessions and went on to commit a further burglary while on court bail."

Just weeks after being charged with four burglaries and bailed, MacManus broke into a home in Thorne, with forensic work quickly identifying MacManus as the offender.

He was subsequently re-arrested and charged with the additional offence, with MacManus pleading guilty to five burglaries and five counts of theft of a motor vehicle.

He also admitted possession of an offensive weapon in a private place after officers found a machete-style knife in his address as well as possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Last Thursday (20 March), MacManus, of Ten Pound Walk, was sentenced to three years in a young offenders' institution.

DC Hoszowski said: "Burglaries have a devastating impact on victims and MacManus shamelessly made it his mission to inflict this misery on innocent people in Doncaster.

"MacManus invaded his victims' privacy by creeping into their homes and stealing their cars as they slept, and he did not think about the consequences of his crimes.

"I am pleased MacManus has been given a custodial sentence and that we were able to secure justice for all his victims after linking him to multiple burglaries in the city."

You can report burglaries and car crime in Doncaster and across South Yorkshire to South Yorkshire Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, you can contact CrimeStoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.