Burglar jailed after leaving lawn mower hanging from tree in Wolverhampton back garden
A burglar who was part of a gang that stole power tools from a house after checking the property was empty has been jailed for almost two years.
Robert Pugh, 30, called at the three-bedroom house in Willenhall Road, Wolverhampton, on July 27 last year accompanied by a girl and tried the front door, a court heard.
A neighbour saw the pair return with a third person and try the door again but they left and the neighbour did not phone the police, said Mr Geoffrey Dann, prosecuting.
However the three had gone round to the rear of the property and climbed a fence into the back garden.
CCTV footage showed two of the gang, although not Pugh, force the garage door and steal around £1,000 of power tools and other items.
They made more than one trip across the lawn and also tried to steal a petrol mower but it was found abandoned, hanging from a tree, Mr Dann told Wolverhampton Crown Court.
When the householder returned at 9pm, she was ‘upset and angry’ to find the garage had been raided, she revealed in a victim impact statement.
Defending, Mr David Iles said Pugh admitted being involved but claimed to have left the scene before the other two forced the garage door.
“He stole nothing but accepts it was a joint enterprise,” said Mr Iles.
“They had been drinking and it appears he was simply led. He had recently lost his job and begun associating with a former group of friends.”
But the defendant, an ex-heroin addict, had two previous burglaries, in 2006 and 2007, on his record, the court heard.
Since then he had committed a string of offences, including assault, theft, criminal damage, affray, harassment and shoplifting, the court was told.
Pugh, of Wellington Road, Bilston, pleaded guilty to burglary and was jailed for 93 weeks.
His accomplice, who was seen trying the front door with him, was under 18 and had been dealt with separately in the youth court.
