Jail for Ellesmere man caught on camera in 'spiteful' burglary
A man who was caught on camera stealing a television from a vulnerable man's home has been jailed.
Lee Price pleaded guilty to the offence of burglary – and also for being concerned in making offers to supply cocaine. He was jailed for a total of 32 months at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday.
The drug offence relates to July 8, 2014, while the burglary involving a £390 TV set took place between September 15 and 17 at an elderly man's address in Ellesmere.
Samantha Powis, prosecuting, told the court how on July 8 last year, police had been searching for two men – neither of whom were Price – in relation to a drugs matter.
The two men had ran off but police had found wraps containing crack cocaine and heroin, and a bag found had Price's fingerprints on it.
On September 5, Price, 38, was eventually arrested. A phone recovered from his house had incriminating text messages regarding Class A drugs on it.
Between September 15 and 17 this year, Price, who was living in Scotland Road in Ellesmere at the time, was caught on a camera stealing a television belonging to a vulnerable man.
The court heard how the victim regularly left his door unlocked in case people could not get in to help him.
But he also had a camera installed in his home as he had had his television stolen on three previous occasions, and because of this the television was chained to a cabinet, the court heard. A neighbour who visited the victim noticed his television had been taken. Police watched footage from the camera which showed Price entering the elderly man's home while he was in bed and using pliers to remove the television.
Judge Peter Barrie said the drugs matter was serious but described the burglary as a "particularly nasty and spiteful offence".
Price was sentenced to 20 months for the drugs offence as well as 12 months for the burglary, which will run consecutively.
