Police dog tracked down the man who stole from jewellers

12:50pm Thursday 3rd July 2008

JEWELLERY worth nearly £4,000 was stolen in a smash and grab raid on an Upton-upon-Severn shop in the early hours, Worcester Crown Court was told.

A police dog was called in and tracked the culprit to a nearby building site where he was employed as a security guard, said Jason Aris, prosecuting.

A bag containing the loot was found on the roof of a builder’s hut and glass from the shop window was discovered on Terence Round’s trousers.

Round, aged 36, of Ryecroft Grove, Tile Cross, Birmingham, was convicted of burglary in his absence. Judge Andrew Geddes issued a warrant for his arrest and he will be sentenced when he is in custody.

The attack on David Manning jewellers in Old Street, Upton, took place on April 25 last year, said Mr Aris. Neighbours were woken in the middle of the night by the sound of smashing glass and saw a man running off down the street.

Another security guard, 39-year-old Barry Hudson, of Hazeldene Road, Birmingham, was also charged with the burglary. He denied the allegation and was discharged after the judge directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict because the prosecution had not proved the case against him.

The trial continued with the unusual situation of nobody being in the dock.

Mr Aris said Round had several previous convictions for burglary, the last being at Birmingham Crown Court in 1997. He said: “Round is someone who has a propensity for burglary.”

Andrew Evans, for Round, who had initially denied the charge, submitted that suspicion was not enough to justify a conviction. The police dog could have picked up the scent of someone who had walked along the quiet street that night.

There had been conflicting descriptions by witnesses of the man who was seen running away from the shop.

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