Guardian News

Winsford burglar turned out to be victim's neighbour

9:00am Saturday 28th January 2012

A MAN who stole a large amount of property during a burglary at a house in Winsford turned out to be the victim's near neighbour.

Defendant Michael Joseph Hill, 25, immediately became a suspect after visiting the victim's home for the first time the day before, Chester Crown Court was told.

Hill of Ludlow Close, in Winsford, admitted the burglary which was just five doors down from his own home.

The court heard how victim David Fletcher had lived at his home for six years.

He went to bed on December 28 last year but when he got up the next morning found that his 50 inch plasma television had gone along with a laptop and charger, a games console and a DVD player.

Prosecuting barrister Maria Massellis said that frozen food had been taken from the freezer and a large amount of fishing equipment had been stolen from the garage together with two air guns and a compressor.

He contacted the police and immediately named the defendant as a suspect who he knew as a neighbour but who had only been inside his home for the first time the day before.

The day after, Hill had been involved in a minor road accident, was taken to the police station, and police executed a search warrant at his home address.

There they found the victim's games console which was a distinctive colour and had the victim's name stored in its memory.

The stolen laptop and charger were recovered from the car the defendant had been driving.

It turned out that a quantity of fishing tackle had been sold on his behalf at a local cash converter shop for £129.

The television had been recovered from another address but it was damaged.

About £1,000 worth of property remained outstanding, said Miss Massellis.

Gareth Roberts, defending, said that his client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and he was ashamed at what he had done.

"He is sickened by what he has done," said Mr Roberts.

The court also heard that Hill was suffering heavy, sporadic drug use.

Sentencing him to a 12 month jail sentence Judge Elgan Edwards said it was a mean offence and custody was inevitable.

"Dwelling house burglary is much more serious than the shop lifting and the other offences which you have committed before," the judge told him.

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