A man who walked into a hotel room at Gatwick Airport and took a bag containing thousands of pounds worth of jewellery while a family were moving their luggage in has walked free from court with a suspended sentence.
Mohammed Uddin, 39, was handed an eight-month prison term suspended for 18 months after admitting burglary and receiving stolen goods. He was also placed under an electronically monitored curfew for six months and ordered to pay £300 in compensation — a fraction of the £8,000 worth of jewellery taken during the theft at the Hilton Hotel at Gatwick’s South Terminal on 17 August 2024.
The theft itself lasted no more than ten minutes. The family, who were occupying two adjoining rooms, had left one door on the latch while carrying their luggage inside. Uddin, who was himself a guest at the same hotel that evening, took the opportunity to enter and remove the bag. The theft was reported to police after the family noticed it was missing.
Officers from Sussex Police worked alongside the Metropolitan Police to trace Uddin to London, where he was located still wearing several of the stolen pieces of jewellery. He was also found to have a bank card in his possession belonging to a separate victim.
The cross-force operation led to Uddin being charged and subsequently convicted on both counts.
Sussex Police acknowledged that while the burglary was unplanned, the consequences for those affected were unlikely to be short-lived. The force confirmed that a number of the stolen items were recovered during the arrest.
Uddin must comply with the terms of his suspended sentence and curfew conditions or risk being returned to court to serve the custodial term in full.
