A PROLIFIC offender known as the ‘marigold burglar’ has been jailed again after he pleaded guilty to handling property which had been stolen during a series of burglaries in Cheshire.

Gary Clifton appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, February 28, where he was sentenced to two years in prison.

The 59-year-old of Solvay Road, Manchester, had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of handling stolen property.

Operation China began in November 2022 when officers at Macclesfield CID became aware of a series of burglaries in the Poynton and Disley areas where the offenders were stealing cash, pottery and antiques.

Extensive enquiries were undertaken by the team at Macclesfield, including CCTV and forensics, and patrols were also stepped in the local area.

Then, at around 5am on Sunday, January 15, 2023, police were called to reports of a suspicious man in the Coppice Road area of Poynton.

Officers were deployed to the scene and on arrival they came across a man on a bicycle who was loitering in the area and matched the description of the suspect in the burglary series.

Police attempted to engage with the man, but he quickly dumped his bike and fled the scene on foot.

The bike was recovered by officers, along with a water bottle which was mounted on the frame. Subsequent forensic tests were conducted and traces of Clifton’s DNA were found on the bottle.

Clifton had an extensive history of offending and had previously gained the nickname of the ‘Marigold burglar’ following a series of high value burglaries in 2001 where he wore rubber gloves.

He had only been released from prison in 2021 after serving a previous sentence for another series of burglaries in Cheshire which had occurred in 2016.

Following the DNA hit, detectives conducted further enquiries into Clifton, including mobile phone checks which placed him at the scene of many of the burglaries. The data also showed several calls to an auction house in Stockport.

Financial checks were also conducted which showed several payments into Clifton’s account from the auction house.

Officers initially believed that the payments would be for items stolen during the 2022 – 23 burglary series, however they were shocked to discover that they were for items which he had stolen in 2016, during his previous period of offending.

A warrant was subsequently conducted at Clifton’s homes in Manchester on Tuesday, April 18, where officers recovered some of the stolen items. Clifton was subsequently arrested at his workplace.

Following his arrest, Clifton denied any involvement in the 2022–23 burglary series, however he admitted that he had been selling the items that he had stolen in 2016.

Despite his denial, he was subsequently charged in connection with the incidents from 2016 and 2022-23.

Upon appearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday 29 January for a trial, Clifton pleaded guilty to handling stolen property in relation to all of the incidents from both 2016 and 2022-23.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Rebecca Smith, of Macclesfield CID, said: “Clifton is a career criminal who has shown no remorse for his actions, and I welcome the sentence that has been handed to him.

“Following his latest release from prison in 2021, he presented himself as the model reformed character, attending all of his probation appointments, training to become a HGV driver and even getting a job.

“But in reality this was all an act, and behind the scenes he was busy selling the items he had stolen in 2016, which he had kept in storage while he was serving his prison sentence. Not only that, but he was also continuing to commit other similar offences in Cheshire East.

“What is particularly heart wrenching in this case is that due to Clifton’s interest in high value pottery and antiques, many of his victims were elderly and are no longer here to take back the items he stole from them and see him finally being held accountable for his actions.

“While we will never be able to turn back time, I do hope that the sentence handed to Clifton will provide some closure to his victims who are still here, and to the families of those he targeted.”