Plymstock man one of three sentenced for nearly 30 years after forcing their way into family home

Three men have now been jailed for a combined total of just short of 30 years after they forced their way into a family home in Devonport armed with weapons.

On February 17, 2024, the men attended an address in Devonport armed with an imitation firearm, a knife and knuckledusters and burst into the property.

Today, Friday 13 June, Curtis Smith, 22, of Elburton Road, Plymstock, and Altan Tezcan, 37, of Hackney, London, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court and were sentenced to a eight-and-a-half-years each after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary.

Engin Timur, 35, of Hackney, London, also appeared after admitting the same offence but will be sentenced at a later date.

A fourth man, Bektas Gurgur, 40, and from Stamford Road, Tottenham, in London was sentenced to 13 years previously after being found guilty by a jury of aggravated burglary.

The court heard how Gurgur, Smith and Tezcan forced their way into the victim’s home while two children were upstairs after being driven to the address by Timur.

The incident was captured on a doorbell camera which showed the men making threats as they stormed the house. The occupant and a friend, who had been present at the house, were hit and kicked repeatedly whilst the three offenders demanded to know where the victim’s money was.

Smith was carrying a knife and Tezcan the imitation firearm, while Gurgur was said to have searched the house and issued orders. All three defendants assaulted the victims at various points during the ordeal.  

The men took around £12,500 in cash and a number of keys from the house before fleeing the area. The money was never retrieved. All four men fled the scene in a car.

CCTV from a nearby shop showed a BMW X3 in the area at the time and subsequent vehicle enquiries were completed showing that the vehicle travelled to Plymouth from London prior to the incident, returning immediately after.

A joint operation between Devon and Cornwall Police and the Metropolitan Police resulted in four firearms warrants being executed. Tezcan and Timur were arrested in London, Smith was arrested in Plymouth and Gurgur remained at large for several months before his arrest.  

Sentencing the three, Judge Robert Linford said the victims would have been “absolutely terrified”. He noted that there were children in the house at the time and threats to shoot had been made during the violence.

Judge Linford added: "Offences do not occur on spur of the moment. This was a significantly planned burglary. You burgled, you stole, you left and three of you went back to London."

Detective Constable Lee Sheldon said: “As the investigating officer on this case, I welcome the verdict of the jury and the sentencing today. This outcome follows what was a detailed and complex investigation led by Plymouth detectives.

“This was a violent incident of aggravated burglary, where three men entered a family home with an imitation handgun while a fourth man laid in waiting as the getaway driver.

“This was organised crime with three of the defendants; Gurgur, Tezcan and Timur, making an eight-hour round trip from London to Plymouth to commit the offence.

“Burglary of any nature is such an invasive crime, often leaving victims with a lasting sense of fear and trepidation that something similar may happen again. This was highlighted so diligently in the victim personal statements of both victims, who described how terrified they were at the time of the incident and after it.

“There were also children present in the home, and I can only imagine how distressing that would have been for them. It is fortunate that they came to no physical harm.

“I want to personally thank the victims and the wider family for their patience and assistance in bringing this offender to justice, and more so their bravery to take this matter to court, in what has been a complex and extensive investigation.

“In this case, less than five minutes of violent criminal activity by these men, has brought lasting effects to the victims and their family. I hope today’s sentence demonstrates that we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice and support victims to the best of our ability, through what must be a traumatic time in their lives.

“As the officer on the case, I also want to extend my gratitude to the whole of the investigation team who poured hours of extensive work into this case to get it to court. I would also like to thank colleagues from Metropolitan Police who we worked very closely with throughout.”

Deputy Senior Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Paula Smith said: “This investigation is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of everyone involved.

“The first eight weeks of this investigation were challenging and involved many different departments within the police, including analysts, firearms commanders and interview advisors.

“To execute simultaneously four firearms warrants in two very different cities, is no mean feat and takes an incredible amount of planning and risk management.

“Our overarching goal from the outset of this case was to protect the victims from future harm, identify the suspects and make sure they were brought to justice.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of DC Lee Sheldon working in close collaboration with the Met Police we were able to bring this dangerous group to justice.

“Aggravated burglary is a terrifying crime and securing four convictions reflects the strength of evidence gathered and the commitment of everyone involved to protecting our communities.

“I wish to thank the victims in this case and their families for their bravery in supporting the prosecution and giving crucial testimony at court.  

“I hope that these convictions provide reassurance to the victims in this case and send a clear message that such violence will not be tolerated.

“I would also like to thank colleagues in the CPS and Victoria Bastock from Devon Chambers, with whom we worked very closely with to build a strong case to present at court, securing these convictions”