A man who has committed more than 30 burglaries spat at police officers and called one of them a homophobic name.
Stephen Harold, 52, of no fixed address, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court after being linked to several burglaries. Kate Morley, prosecuting, told the court that on June 3 last year, Matthew Jackson returned home to find entry had been gained through the front door.
He discovered that a Nintendo Switch, a Playstation Four, Anker earbuds, a Bose sound bar and a Nest Thermostat had all been stolen, of a value totalling around £900. Ms Morley said: “The following day, [in] Bebington, at around 2:30am, the defendant was seen in Ring doorbell footage trying the front door handle of an address. He was unable to gain access and made off down the driveway from the address.”
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Alvin Myatt called the police, and officers identified Harold from the footage. Four days later on June 8, Jonathan Hayes left his home in West Kirby at around 8.30am, but when he returned with his children at 4.30pm, he saw the back patio doors smashed.
CCTV footage showed Harold approach the rear patio door carrying a mobile phone and an Asda Bag For Life, before appearing to move the camera, but was unable to gain access to the property so left. Ms Morley said: “Mr Hayes was described as being annoyed and frustrated that someone had tried to burgle his home.”
Only minutes after that attempted burglary, officers on patrol on Black Horse Hill had received reports of a suspicious male looking up driveways, and quickly spotted the defendant. He sat in the back of their police vehicle, and produced a blue and black handled screwdriver from the front of his tracksuit bottoms.
Officers were aware an image of Harold was already being circulated as he was wanted for another burglary, so arrested him. Ms Morley said: “The Constable told him he was going to be searched, and he was immediately abusive and directed a number of homophobic comments towards the officer.
“Officer Sarah Berkey also received a barrage of abuse from the defendant, she described the abuse as unprovoked and exceptionally vile.
“The defendant stated to her that he knew where she lived, and threatened to have her house burgled.”
At this point in court, Harold interrupted Ms Morley by saying “that’s a lie." Ms Morley added: “He was warned about the abuse, his response was to spit at the officers.”
She explained that he then spat at the officers a second time, before being put in a spit hood and taken to the station, where he continued verbally abusing officers. Again, Harold interrupted by saying: “I was assaulted and put in a spit hood."
He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted burglary of a dwelling, one count of burglary of a dwelling, one count of going equipped for theft, and two counts of assaulting emergency workers, namely police officers. Harold has 24 previous convictions for 60 offences, 31 of which were also for burglary of dwellings, and a number of further non-dwelling burglaries.
John Weate, defending said: “The defendant is in his early 50s now, his life has been troubled from a relatively early age, and the trouble initially in those formative years and through his appearances in court in relation to addictions that led him into criminal activity.
“In later years, because of the sentences he’s received, in many ways he has languished in prison.
"He has suffered with problems associated with long periods of being in custody with his mental health.”
Sentencing, Judge Recorder Michael Blakey said: “I hear what is said on your behalf that you haven’t had the best of lives.” “However, it is a downward spiral, as you continue to commit these types of offences, your sentences will get longer and longer.
“The public needs protection from people like you, I’m afraid Mr Harold, therefore the only alternative this court has is to send you to prison yet again.” He was sentenced to 44 months imprisonment and a statutory surcharge was applied.
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