JAILED: 'Career criminal’ locked up after break-in near bail hostel
A ‘career criminal’ has been jailed after breaking into a house near his bail hostel whilst on licence, claiming he was looking for a place to sleep.
Leighton Homer smashed a window of the property in Shale Street, Bilston, but cut himself as he climbed in, leaving a clue for police, a court heard.
A neighbour dialled 999 after seeing him ‘acting suspiciously’ in the garden and although he had disappeared by the time officers arrived at the address, they traced him through DNA records from blood left at the scene.
The 30-year-old initially denied the burglary, faking outrage at his arrest, but later changed his story blaming the offence on his drug habit, prosecutor Mr Omar Majid told Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Homer, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal. In a letter to the court he spoke of his regret and said he wanted to make amends to the victim.
Mr Paul Dhani, defending, argued that the defendant had not ransacked the property and had left without stealing anything. He had spent periods of being homeless and had wanted a place to sleep.
He also said that Homer recognised his drug-taking was at the root of his offending and he had been drug-free since February 21, the date of the break-in.
But the judge dismissed the claim after hearing the defendant had committed a further crime, a theft, in March, adding he had no doubt that had he considered there was anything worth taking that he would have stolen.
“In my view, you are remorseful – you are sorry now, you were not sorry when you were inside that lady’s home. You are sorry because you got caught,” said Judge Dean Kershaw.
Describing Homer’s record of offending as ‘dreadful’, he went on: “You have become a career criminal, a career burglar, amassing many offences of dishonesty.
“Your offending is prolific – not just so often but so recently. You were on licence . Knowing that, instead of abstaining, you still offended.”
The court heard that the house was empty at the time of the break-in because the occupant was ill and staying with her son to recuperate.
Jailing Homer for seven months, Judge Kershaw told him: “That lady will probably never really feel safe again.”
