New Milton man Joshua Hill given 16-month jail sentence after burgling property he was working on

A New Milton man left a window open at a house he was working on to later return, burgle the property and stay there overnight.

On Saturday 27th May, Joshua Hill (22) entered the home on Old Milton Road through the window, knowing the owner was away.

Hill, of Holly Lane, was with a teenage girl at the time, whom he let in through the front door. He stayed the night in the home and stole alcohol, eventually leaving the property the next day.

Hill was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court where he was given eight months in jail for that burglary and another at McColl’s on Station Road on Monday 1st May when he forced entry to the store and stole alcohol and vapes worth £137. He pleaded guilty to both offences.

In addition to the time given for the burglaries, Hill must also serve a further eight months behind bars, as he was on a 10-month suspended sentence for false imprisonment of a child, an incident which occurred in Bournemouth in April 2021. That sentence was handed to him at Bournemouth Crown Court.

PSI Stephen Hortin, of the Western Area Crime Team, said: “I am so pleased to see that Mr Hill is secure in prison for a significant period.

“I hope he will use the time to reassess his life choices. I hope that after release he will seek to live in a better, healthier and more constructive manner.

“I am equally pleased for the communities of New Milton and the wider New Forest area.”

He added: “Hill cannot cause them the trouble, losses, and perhaps most importantly at this time of year, the emotional disturbance that is always experienced after burglaries.

“The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary work hard, as one, to protect communities across the force area.

“I hope that the communities affected by these offences will take some comfort in this news and feel ever more comfortable with reporting burglaries, so that we can do everything possible to seek and prosecute the offenders.”