Jurors find house burglars guilty - crimes include confronting woman with meat cleaver
A burglar who carried out a series of break-ins at homes including threatening a woman with a meat cleaver has been found guilty of a string of crimes.
Karl Wlodarz was convicted following a jury trial for aggravated burglary, seven offences each of burglary and theft and an offence of attempted burglary at numerous residences in Walsall in March.
Cars, phones and jewellery were among the haul stolen along with two safes snatched from a property in Valley Road in Blakenall after the householder answered her front door to a caller only to be confronted by burglars armed with a meat cleaver.
Wlodarz, aged 36, of Radford Drive in Pelsall was part of a group wearing high-visibility jackets.
The jury heard that in some of the incidents the group had their faces covered, but detectives using mobile phone siting checks and security camera footage were able to place them in the vicinity of the incident.
His co-defendant Nathan Moorhouse, aged 32, of Chafery Drive in Darlaston, was also found guilty of two offences of attempted burglary and one burglary offence. Both had denied being responsible.
Two other men Cameron Worrallo and Jordan Shelton from the group who previously pleaded guilty attempting to burgle a property in Skip Lane near Barr Beacon, which was among the addresses targeted.
Wlodarz and Moorhouse will be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court in January.
