A THIEF who took part in a ‘professional’ night-time break-in at an isolated house was caught after an ANPR camera showed his car being driven in convoy with one taken in the raid.
And CCTV cameras had captured Colin Anderson later using bank cards taken from the burgled house near Princethorpe, a judge at Warwick Crown Court has heard.
The 28-year-old, of Hewitt Avenue, Coventry, was jailed for four years after he abandoned an application at the court to be allowed to change his earlier plea of guilty to the burglary.
Prosecutor Ian Windridge said in October 2016 a retired couple woke to find the front door of their home near Princethorpe had been forced open.
The intruders escaped with various property in a Honda car taken from outside.
Investigating the burglary, Warwickshire Police found an ANPR camera on the A45 at Ryton had captured the Honda going past – clearly in convoy with a silver Renault Clio behind it.
Anderson had the keys to the Clio when he was arrested.
His home was searched, and the police recovered property stolen during the raid – including a chainsaw and drill – which he claimed to have bought at a car boot sale.
Anderson, who had a number of previous convictions and was a ‘third strike’ burglar, originally pleaded not guilty to the burglary, later changing his plea to guilty but then applying to vacate that plea before finally accepting his part in the offence.
Omar Majid, defending, said while in prison Anderson has taken a mentoring course to help people who have not been in jail before.
Sentencing Anderson, Deputy Judge Richard Griffith-Jones told him: “This was a professional burglary. You did this together with another man in a planned burglary.
“You went to a detached house in the countryside, and you did it at night when there was a retired couple there. You ran the risk that you would disturb them, and all sorts of catastrophic outcomes could have followed.”
‘Third strike’ burglar Colin Anderson has been jailed for four years.
