Pensnett burglar left phone at house he raided

A bungling burglar who left his mobile phone full of photos of himself at a house he had raided has been jailed for 19 months.

Thomas Winkett, aged 23, of Mullett Street, Pensnett, was identified by the pictures and tracked down by police.

He also left a calling card at a second house he had burgled - a blood stain which enabled investigating officers to trace him through DNA testing. Winkett, a crack cocaine addict, carried out a total of seven raids on properties in Brierley Hill.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard because he needed money to fund his "intense" drug habit.

Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said Winkett broke into a house in Orchard Street, Brierley Hill and took property including a computer, two mobile phones and £75 in cash.

He was disturbed by the owner's young daughter who screamed at finding Winkett in the living room and he made his escape.

But he left behind a mobile phone containing photographs of himself and was quickly picked up by police, Mr Searle told the court yesterday.

Winkett also raided a house in Brierley Hill after removing a pane of glass from the conservatory and stole a games console and games only to leave a drop of blood on the kitchen floor.

Winkett admitted the two burglaries and asked for five similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Mr Ekwall Tiwana, defending, told the court Winkett had started using cannabis after losing his job and the break-up of his relationship.

But the father-of-one then moved onto crack cocaine which had "devastated" his life and the only way he could buy the drug was to turn to crime.

Judge Jonathan Gosling told Winkett it was to his credit he had admitted all his crimes and that he was now determined to resolve his drug addiction.

But he ruled there was no alternative but to impose an immediate custodial sentence for what he described as a "campaign" of burglaries carried out over a six-week period.

Winkett showed no emotion as he was sentenced and led from the dock.

Judge Gosling said he hoped the sentence would help Winkett to overcome his problems with drugs.

By Adam Burling