Thief raided empty Great Barr house in bungling burglary
A bungling burglar, who caused £1,700 worth of damage while breaking into a house that had nothing to steal after its owner moved out, has been jailed for two years.
Reece Parkes picked an address in Old Walsall Road, Great Barr, that the previous occupant had left after putting it up for sale, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
The 26-year-old smashed a window to get into the property on January 5 and also damaged the burglar alarm and several internal doors, explained Mr Howard Searle.
Parkes, who had 21 previous convictions involving 27 separate offences, cut himself and left a tell tale spot of blood at the scene which was linked to him through scientific analysis.
When he was arrested eight days later he was in possession of jewellery and a jewellery box which had been stolen in another burglary, continued the prosecutor.
The defendant, from Rolfe Street, Smethwick, had been held in custody for several months while on remand waiting for the case to be resolved during which he broke the drug habit that triggered much of his offending, the court was told.
Mr Robert Cowley, defending, revealed: “He has put on four stones in weight after ridding himself of the addiction.”
Parkes pleaded guilty to one case of burglary and handling stolen property and was sent to prison by Judge Amjad Nawaz who told him: “Significant damage was caused and you left some blood behind. When you were detained you had jewellery which had been stolen.”
