Jailed: Burglar who went on 24-hour crime spree stealing bikes and tools
A man who broke into a house and a number of outhouses in a Shropshire town over a 24-hour period has been jailed.
Jamie Davies, 42, took several bicycles – including a mountain bike worth £2,200 – tools and keys during the overnight spree in Wem in April last year.
The defendant’s DNA was later discovered on a coat found near the break-ins.
At Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday Davies appeared by video link from prison and was jailed for a total of three years and two months.
Davies, of Greenway, Wrexham, admitted five charges of burglary and one of theft, and had another burglary offence taken into consideration.
Judge Peter Barrie said that while the items taken were not substantial Davies had caused the victims a great deal of upset.
“You clearly set out that night in the Wem area to steal whatever you could find from sheds and garages and, in one instance, a house,” he said.
The court heard that Davies had numerous convictions for drug offences and burglary and was subject to the ‘three-strikes’ rule, which involved a mandatory three-year sentence for burglary.
Mr Jonathan Dickinson, prosecuting, said the offences all occurred overnight on April 28 and 29 last year.
He described to the court how Davies was seen on CCTV cameras at a number of properties stealing items including at the Fox Inn in High Street.
He said a detached garage was broken into at Mill Cottages when the owners were out but had been alerted by a signal on a mobile phone and returned home.
Across a nearby field Davies got into a house in The Grove through an insecure kitchen door while the owners were asleep and stole keys, groceries and documents.
The defendant moved on to the nearby Fox Inn in High Street around 4am and was seen on CCTV with a bike in the beer garden and an outhouse.
Mr Dickinson said Davies had attempted to steal a set of carnival lights which were found later on the car park.
A customer had a bike stolen and the CCTV showed Davies leaving it at the pub and taking another bicycle.
Davies moved on to Lowe Hall Farm where he stole a metal detector and some hand tools from a summer house.
The mountain bike was taken from a detached garage at Beechcroft in Northwood, near Wem., and a quantity of tools were found in a holdall under a window, but were not taken.
Mr Dickinson said that in addition to the defendant’s coat, a stolen rounders was found, which also revealed the defendant’s DNA, and two mobile phones were found near Beechcroft, along with a bike taken from the pub.
Following his arrest in May last year Davies denied being in Wem and claimed he was in Wrexham.
He said is clothes had been stolen and he was ‘being set up’ but then pleaded guilty shortly before his trial.
Davies had also admitted that in June this year he broke into a pub at Abbey Green in Chester and took £375 worth of spirits and champagne.
Mr Paul Smith, for Davies, said his client had difficulties with drugs, which had led to him spend long periods of time in custody.
He said Davies apologised for his actions and was getting support to address his drug problem.
