Burglar in raid on 50th birthday of Rowley Regis victim is jailed

Lee Scandrett returned to the property and smashed glass in the front door after getting off the double decker at the next stop, a judge heard.

The 33-year-old serial thief with 40 previous convictions escaped with a haul of jewellery from an upstairs bedroom of the house in Thorne Road, Rowley Regis, while the woman occupant was out shopping on May 16, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

A passer-by saw the front door was open and called police who were at the scene when the owner returned to the property, the court was told.

DNA profiling linked blood stains found at the scene to Scandrett who cut his hand during the break-in, prosecutor Mr Howard Searle revealed.

He said the burglar had struck on the 50th birthday of the householder and added: "What should have been a day of celebration turned into something very different."

The victim later said in a statement that the stolen jewellery, which has not been recovered, was irreplaceable because of its sentimental value.

She now suffers from anxiety attacks brought on by stress and no longer feels safe in the house where she had lived happily for the previous six years, the court heard.

Mr Paul Hiatt, defending, said Scandrett was homeless after being freed from a 30-month jail sentence for another burglary and was desperate for money to pay off drug dealers who were threatening him over an unpaid debt.

The lawyer continued: "He was on the bus when he noticed a house that looked as if nobody was in and decided to break in to steal property that he could sell and pay off the dealers."

Scandrett, previously of Oxhill Road, Handsworth, pleaded guilty to burglary and was sent to prison for 32 months by Judge Amjad Nawaz.

The judge told him: "This happened on the birthday of a lady who has suffered much misery as a result of the crime.

"This is the sort of effect burglars can create in the minds of victims.

"This may not have been the intention but it is certainly the legacy," he added.

The case comes after latest figures revealed burglary rates in the West Midlands are the lowest they have been for 10 years.

The number of break-ins in June fell to a record low of 907, down by 212 compared with the same period last year.

Police have been working to reduce the amount and as part of Operation Intrusive, officers have targeted suspected burglars, people who handle stolen goods and drug dealers.

Teams are on their guard as traditionally there is a higher number during the summer months.

Around one in 10 of all break-ins happen when homes are left unsecured, police say.

This rises to a quarter during the milder weather when doors and windows are left open.