Two Burglars Named Bernie McDonagh Team Up For 10-Day Crime Spree

Two British men with identical names went on a 10-day crime spree according to police.

Bernie McDonagh, 35, from Coventry, and Bernie McDonagh, 56, from Romford were apprehended by law enforcement after CCTV footage and DNA evidence revealed them as the perpetrators of a string of robberies in Warwickshire.

In August of this year, after an initial failed break-in attempt at another location, the men were successful in breaking into a property on Coventry Road in Bulkington on Aug. 6. The items they stole amounted to about £3100, including A 55-inch TV, six watches and a necklace.

The men then brought their escapades to Main Street in Willey on Aug. 10, where CCTV filmed them breaking into an address briefly before taking off in a Lexus. According to Warwickshire police, they stole a jewelry box and a yellow floral pillowcase.

The older McDonagh was also found to have broken into a property on Bridge Avenue in Essex last November, from which he stole cash of various currencies and two valuable watches, worth around £5,500.

"The McDonaghs were of the opinion that they could go from house to house across the country and take what they liked, when they liked, without any repercussions," said Alan Hands of the Serious Organised and Acquisitive Crime Team. "They used the same car each time and were caught on CCTV repeatedly, indicating that they took very little care in trying to remain unseen."

The duo were both sentenced on Tuesday at Warwick Crown Court.

Bernie McDonagh, 56, was sentenced to about 4 years and 9 months in prison and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228. He was also disqualified from possessing a valid driver's license for a period of 270 days.

Bernie McDonagh, 35, was sentenced to 3 years in prison and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £187.