THREE men accused of carrying out a burglary spree across Devon have declined to give evidence at their trial.

The Lithuanian men from London are alleged to have raided 23 homes in Devon and 16 in Sussex, Lincolnshire and Suffolk in the space of eight months.

All the raids were on homes with UPV doors or French windows which have a particular type of cylinder lock which can be broken open to allow access by a technique known as snapping.

The jury at Exeter Crown Court was told that all three decided not to give evidence in their own defence and barristers representing them have dismissed the prosecution case as speculation.

Arturas Malysovas, aged 31, of South Esk Road, London; Dainius Gastilavicius, aged 39, of Worcester Road, East London, and Tomas Paulavicius, aged 36, of Raydons Road, Dagenham, all deny conspiracy to burgle.

The prosecution say evidence from their satnav, phones cell site analysis and number plate recognition cameras shows they travelled to Devon on the dates when they raids were carried out.

Two of the men allegedly left DNA traces at a house in Peard Road, Tiverton, while the third’s DNA was found on a glove mark at a house in Paignton.

The gang allegedly struck in towns including Exeter, Exmouth, Tiverton, Newton Abbot, Dartmouth, Ashburton and Paignton and in villages such as Chillington and Stokenham in the South Hams.

Defence barristers William Parkhill, Brian Fitzherbert and Barry White all told the jury at Exeter Crown Court that their clients had exercised their right not to give evidence.

They told the jury the prosecution case was based on inference rather than hard fact and the DNA evidence could be explained by other people using gloves which the men had worn previously.

They argued that others could have used the satnav, phones or cars and described the prosecution case as supposition, assumption and speculation.

The alleged burglaries occurred at properties all over Devon.

They include:

July 2014.

Pine Grove, Honiton, two houses burgled.

Gloucester Road, Exeter.

August 2014.

Church Road, Bognor Regis.

Andrews Avenue, Bognor Regis.

September 2014.

Penpethy Rd, Brixham

October 2014;

Butts Park, Stokenham, no property stolen.

Mount Boone Way, Dartmouth. Two homes burgled, cash, jewellery stolen.

Redwalls Meadow, Dartmouth, no property stolen.

Vealenia Park, Ashburton, cash and jewellery stolen.

Villiers Road, Newton Abbot.

Robins Field, Chillington.

Peard Road, Tiverton, jewellery, cash and iPad stolen.

Winston Rd, Exmouth. Damage to lock, no entry gained.

November 2014.

Westcott Road, Tiverton. Two bungalows entered. Cash and Euros stolen.

Rydon Avenue, Kingsteignton.

December 2014- January 2015.

Coombes Avenue, Horsham.

Vale Drive, Horsham.

St Hughes Drive, L

March 2015.

Rusper Road, Horsham.

The trial continues.