Serial burglar gets locked up (From Worcester News)

Serial burglar gets locked up

10:00am Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

A serial burglar who targeted six properties in Worcester, including the city’s cathedral, has been jailed for three years and eight months.

Ian Macdonald, aged 22, broke into a recruitment agency in St Nicholas Street, the Salvation Army headquarters in The Trinity and a sports hall belonging to the King’s School. He also raided two city homes and stole a charity box from the cathedral containing £50.

Macdonald, of no fixed address, asked for 27 other burglaries of homes in the Avon and Somerset area to be taken into consideration. He already had a record of 45 crimes, which included three domestic break-ins and eight raids on commercial properties, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Macdonald pleaded guilty to five burglaries, theft, fraud, criminal damage and failing to comply with the sex offender notification requirements.

Judge John Cavell said he had “an appalling record” which began when he was only 14.

He said the charity box theft was a particularly mean offence. Prosecutor Alex Warren said Macdonald first stole a handbag containing cash and credit cards after breaking into Assist Recruitment through a fire exit door on September 3 last year.

A witness saw him smashing open the cathedral’s box 10 days later.

He broke into the Salvation Army and stole a cornet and euphonium from its music room, selling them for £175 at Cash Generators in Kidderminster. On September 15 Macdonald raided the sports hall, grabbing seven mobile phones from a girls’ changing room while pupils were playing netball. Bailed, he then targeted a house in Brookthorpe Close, stealing cash, jewellery and a PlayStation.

Finally, he broke into a house in Woolhope Road, stealing a laptop after an untidy search.

Mr Warren said he had to register as a sex offender for seven years for an exposure offence.

But instead of going to live at his mother’s home in Welland, near Malvern, he lived at a number of friends’ addresses without informing police.

He also damaged a police cell by scrawling graffiti on a door.

In Somerset he helped a gang carry out night-time raids on homes. Cars and electrical goods were stolen – and Macdonald was paid £30 to £40 on each occasion.

Abigail Nixon, defending, said homelessness had driven him into offending on a big scale after his father disowned him.

He now understood the effect on victims and was resolved to quit crime on his release.

Miss Nixon said he had helped police clear up outstanding offences by going on a tour and pointing out burgled premises.