Burnley raider jailed for nine burglaries
1:04pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News
DRUG ADDICT David Wood
A BURGLAR who went on a £20,000 nine-home thieving spree in his own community has been jailed for 28 months.
David Wood, 40, forced, or smashed, his way through windows into properties in the Burnley neighbourhood where he lived, targeting victims in the night as they slept, ransacking their rooms and, on one occasion, also taking a £10,000 car, the town's crown court heard.
Wood, a drug addict, who struck in July, August and September, was arrested in the early hours of September 13, when he was found in possession of a crowbar, five large screwdrivers, a putty trowel, gloves, a torch. and a sharp diving knife.
The hearing was told Wood had taken hauls including cash, a £4,000 Ford Focus, laptops, computer games, jewellery, food, perfume, mobile phones, DVDs and personal documents. He left a trail of misery, upset, and anxiety, as well as damage and loss. One little boy, whose family home was among those invaded as he was in bed, still talked of the ‘bad man’ who had stolen his toys.
Wood, of Olympia Street, Burnley, had admitted nine charges of house burglary, one of going equipped, and one of possessing a bladed article. He had been committed for sentence by Pennine magistrates.
Simon Gurney, prosecuting, said Wood first struck at Brockenhurst Street, on July 29. Two weeks later, a neighbour on his street became a victim when the defendant stole his £10,000, two-year-old car. The vehicle was later recovered.
A week later, Wood stole £1,000 worth of goods from a house in Lebanon Street; 12 days later, he targeted a man’s home in Mitella Street, and two days later he struck three times in one night in Rennie Street, disturbing one occupant and fleeing into the dark.
He ended the campaign in Hinton Street, and then Brockenhurst Street, but came away empty-handed in the final raid as the burglar alarm went off and he ran away.
Mr Gurney said Wood was arrested at 3am on September 13, when a police officer saw him acting suspiciously in a back street. He was lying on the ground, crawling along and trying to hide behind a parked car. His trainers were seized and provided a link to four of the burglaries. Wood’s home was searched and stolen property was found, connecting him to the other raids.
