Devon & Cornwall Police News site

Two criminals who kidnapped a man from a house in Torquay after attempting to steal his watches, have been jailed along with four other members of a gang who planned coordinated house burglaries in the south of England.

The group, who identified the victims from social media platform Instagram, were caught after a bungled burglary attempt led police straight to them.

All six were sentenced on Tuesday 14 July to a total of 49 years in prison following their appearance at Exeter Crown Court.

Detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit launched the investigation into the Swindon based group in January 2026 and soon linked them to others similar crimes across the Southwest.

The offenders

The men, were all from Swindon, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a burglary dwelling with intent to steal. They have received the following sentences:

Franklin O’Dwyer, aged 25, of Ermin Street, also pleaded guilty to be false imprisonment and possession with intent to supply cannabis. He has been sentenced to 10 years and five months.

Altan O’Connell, aged 27, of Highdown Way, also pleaded guilty to kidnap, false imprisonment and handling stolen goods. He has been sentenced to 11 year and 10 months.

Alton O’Connell was also sentenced for dangerous driving and possession of cocaine following a police pursuit which started in Queens Drive in Swindon on 19^th October 2025 whereby he failed to stop for police and a pursuit ensued.

Luke McInerney, aged 31, of Bath Road, also pleaded guilty to kidnap, false imprisonment, handling stolen goods and possessing counterfeit currency. He has been sentenced to 11 years and 10 months.

Nicholas O’Dwyer, aged 56, of Groundswell Road, also pleaded guilty to possessing counterfeit currency. He has been sentenced to six years and three months.

Dwain Stratford, aged 35, of Beech Avenue, has been sentenced to four years and eight months.

Karl Houghton, aged 36, of Elgin Drive, has been sentenced to 4 years.

All defendants were handed a two-year driving disqualification which will be delayed until their interim release date. O’Connell who was banned for three years.

The kidnap

The court heard that at around 1am on 14 January 2026 the victim was asleep, when he was woken by his dog barking to find Franklin O’Dwyer, Altan O’Connell and Luke McInerny stood in the kitchen.

They demanded that he give them his watches but, much to their surprise, the victim told them that they had been stolen. The men said that they had seen the watches in videos on social media and ripped paintings from the wall and emptied drawers looking for them.

When they didn’t find what they were looking for, the plan changed and they cable tied the victims’ hands, put tape over his mouth, and planned to take him to an address in London where they believed more watches to be. Franklin O’Dwyer then left the address and wasn’t see again during the crime.

O’Connell and McInerney put the victim in the back of his own electric car and started the journey up the M5, only reaching Bridgwater before the battery ran critically low.

They put the victim in the boot, abandoned the car in a country lane near Puriton and fled to get an onward lift.

The victim was able to get himself free from the cable ties and get out the boot, find the keys and use the last ounce of battery power to get to a nearby supermarket where he raised the alarm.

The investigation

Detectives from the Devon and Cornwall Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit began investigating the crime and established that the suspects were local to the Wiltshire area. It was also established that some of the group had been involved in a dwelling burglary in Southampton on 11 January.

On 4 February officers from Devon & Cornwall and Wiltshire carried out multiple simultaneously warrants at addresses in Swindon where the group were arrested. Officers found stolen vehicles, multiple watches, jewellery, designer handbags, drones and cash. They also found items believed to be used in the commission of the crimes, including balaclavas, hammers and multiple mobile phones.

Specialist officers reviewed phones linked to the group and found a number of search terms on Instagram linked to both the Torquay and Southampton jobs. It’s believed that they also used open-source research tools to find further information and help plan their crimes.

The investigation also found that the group had hired vehicles, mostly in their own names and using personal bank details, which they used to travel to the victims addresses.

After arrest the group were interviewed and subsequently charged with multiple offences and all pleaded guilty.

At court, a statement was read out from the victim of the kidnap. In it, he described the impact of the incident on his sense of safety and said that while bound and gagged in the car ‘I became genuinely frightened and believed I was likely to die’.

The victims of the Southampton burglary provided statements in which they described the ‘sense of violation’ A statement read: “This was not just theft. It was a violation of our home, our family, and our sense of safety.”

Upon sentencing, HHJ Patrick commended the police investigation, specifically mentioning the speed which police identified those involved and brought them to justice noting the significant psychological impact this offending had on both the victims of the burglary and the 71-year-old man kidnapped by O’Connell and McInerney.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Tom Canning said:

“This case has involved a significant investigation involving multiple forces, specialist technical investigative skills, and collating a case while ultimately resulted in six guilty pleas.

“Social media is a common part of modern life, but this case is a reminder that it does come with risks and is an example of how people can seek out and use that information against you if they have ill intention.

“I would urge people to consider what they post onto social media and into the public domain. Do you know what information could be extracted from your pictures are video and even who can see them?”

You can find guidance and advice about online safety here - Online fraud & Cybercrime | Devon & Cornwall Police

You can also find crime prevention advice and tips on keeping yourself and your home safe here - Crime prevention advice | Devon & Cornwall Police