Published date: 01 April 2016 |
Published by: Staff reporterRead more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter
A PROLIFIC burglar has been jailed for four years after a jury took just 17 minutes to convict him.
John Anderson, 42, of Coed Aben, Caia Park, Wrexham, was found guilty at Mold Crown Court, sitting in Chester, of burgling the home of John Fitzpatrick – a 75-year-old man who is deaf in one ear – on December 12, 2014.
Anderson had pleaded guilty to stealing Mr Fitzpatrick’s wallet from the property in Wrexham but denied burglary.
Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said he “didn’t believe a single word” of Anderson’s defence that he had not intentionally set out to steal but had done so on impulse.
Anderson was jailed for four years for burglary. He was also given an extra 12 week sentence after he failed to appear for his first trial in February.
Caroline Harris, defending, said Anderson had a “lapse” after trying to rehabilitate himself since 2010 but Judge Hughes said: “Since 2010 there have been 13 offences when he decided to rehabilitate himself.”
Ms Harris said Anderson had been a long term abuser of drugs since he was 13 but had been clean for 15 months.
Brett Williamson, prosecuting, said Anderson went into the house on the “pretence” of trying to buy a car. It was an “opportunity to steal”.
Mr Fitzpatrick told the jury he had not invited Anderson into his home and he had “followed” him in.
He said he first met Anderson a couple of weeks before the incident when Anderson and a friend were walking past his home.
Mr Fitzpatrick said Anderson asked if his car was for sale.
Mr Fitzpatrick said it was on sale for £400. On December 12 Anderson went back to the house alone and asked if he could see the car.
He agreed and told Anderson he needed to get the keys but Anderson followed him into the house uninvited.
Mr Fitzpatrick said a friend of his, Wendy Ridley, was sitting in his living room during the exchange and the pair then went outside to look at the car.
Mr Fitzpatrick said: “He then asked for my phone number, I said I will go and get it. He followed me in again, uninvited.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said when they re-entered the house Ms Ridley walked past them to go to the toilet upstairs. Mr Fitzpatrick went to get his number, leaving Anderson by the lounge. He then handed over the number and Anderson left.
Mr Fitzpatrick noticed his wallet was missing when he went to look for his bus pass.
He said it was too late to call the bank so he waited until the next morning before he went to the bank to ask if his card had been used. About £450 had been stolen.
Mr Fitzpatrick said: “The wallet had my bus pass, a bank card, leisure centre card and a photograph of a girlfriend of mine who died a year earlier and a card with phone numbers on. I think my pin number was on my card.”
Mr Williamson read out some of Anderson’s police interview after he was arrested. In it he denied stealing the card and said he had just gone to see the car.
Mr Williamson said it was now agreed by all parties that Anderson stole the card but it was used by a friend of his to take £300 out of a cash point in Wrexham with the rest, £204, being spent at a bookmakers.
Anderson admitted he had 67 previous convictions, including many for theft and burglary.
Anderson, however, disputed the version of events and said he only entered the house on one occasion after being invited in when he made a remark about a train set which could be seen from the doorstep.
Anderson said he did ask for a glass of water but this was after having a conversation about the model trains for “three or four minutes”. He said Mr Fitzpatrick had trouble finding the number and went into the lounge
see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/160464/four-years-for-prolific-burglar-from-wrexham-who-targeted-partially-deaf-oap.aspx
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