A 'prolific burglar' who broke into three houses as part of a spree has been jailed. Joseph Carter, 30, stole cars from the driveways outside on two occasions.
The intruder’s first offence saw him sneak inside a property in Park Street, Lenton, in the early hours of November 18, 2022. While the homeowner slept upstairs, Carter took some speakers and a range of other electrical items from across the house.
He also picked up a set of car keys, which he used to unlock and drive away a vehicle that was parked outside. The 30-year-old then repeated the same crime on December 14 – this time breaking into a house in Beaumont Square, Bilborough.
Carter struck in the evening and made off in the homeowner’s car, after grabbing the keys from inside the house. Just a day earlier, the burglar also broke into another property in Grimston Road, Radford – taking a laptop, phone and a bag containing bank cards.
But he was later stopped, searched and arrested, with further inquiries linking him to the Grimston Road break-in as well.
Having initially denied any knowledge about any of the incidents, Carter later pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary.
Carter, of no fixed abode, appeared before Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (April 21). He was sentenced to two years, four months and 19 days – 876 days – in prison.
Detective Constable Tim Townsend, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Carter is a prolific burglar who has more than once shown a complete disregard for the law by continuing to break it. After waiting for the cover of darkness, he targeted properties where he assumed the homeowner was either not in or was asleep, before stealing whatever he could get his hands on.
“On two occasions, he snatched the keys to cars parked outside, which were then driven away without being detected. While he was not caught at the scene on any of these occasions, his crimes did soon catch up with him when our officers discovered property he’d stolen and were able to link him to the offences.
“This was a great example, not just of how effective stop and searches can be, but of the tenacity of our officers in following different lines of inquiry through. We’re pleased to see that Carter has now owned up to what he’s done and hope he uses his time in prison to re-evaluate how he’s living his life.”
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