Car key burglar jailed for four years over Wolverhampton home raids
A prolific burglar has been locked up for four years after escaping with thousands of pounds worth of cash and property during break ins at three more homes.
Paul Roberts took a nine year old Audi TT worth £12,000 from the driveway of one of the addresses after finding the ignition key in the property, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
The 31-year-old, who had committed 89 previous offences, started his latest crime spree on August 12 at a house in Bilston Road, Bilston where he escaped with a £3,000 haul that included £1,800 cash, revealed Mr David Lees, prosecuting.
Roberts was arrested later the same day less than a mile away at the Market Tavern pub in Bilston where he was found to be carrying £1,300 cash, the court heard.
The defendant was bailed pending further inquiries and struck again on August 26, smashing a living room window in a house at Weston Drive and 'ransacking' the property before fleeing with a lap top, clothing and jewellery. "The rooms were left in a total mess," said the prosecutor.
Three days later, father of one Roberts broke into a house in Vicarage Road, All Saints, took a TV during an untidy search of the interior and drove off in the family's Audi, continued Mr Lees. The house had CCTV cameras that filmed the crime and a police officer recognised the burglar from the footage. It also showed two other people involved in this crime neither of whom have been traced while none of the stolen property had been recovered, it was said.
At the time Roberts from Sandy Crescent, Wednesfield was the subject of a six month suspended jail sentence imposed for attempted burglary in October last year and had 15 previous convictions for burglary or attempted burglar, ten of which involved dwelling houses, it was said.
Mr Jasvir Mann, defending, said: "His life has been dogged by drugs. The car has gone, had by others. He got very little for his involvement in that offence and what little he gets he spends on drugs."
Roberts admitted three burglaries and theft and was sent to prison for a total of four years, a sentence that included three months from the suspended jail term breached by the crime spree. Judge Nicholas Webb also banned him from driving for two years.
