Police find town’s ‘most wanted man’ hiding in loft
OFFICERS IN SWADLINCOTE CAPTURE BURGLARY AND ASSAULT SUSPECT
A CRIMINAL dubbed “Swadlincote’s most wanted man” by police is behind bars again after admitting a catalogue of offences.
Leon Tilt was found hiding in a loft after a police chase on foot last year.
The 35-year-old, of no fixed address, was duly arrested and at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a female and damaging a Vauxhall Astra in High Street, Newhall, on October 21.
The court heard on the same day he also entered a property in Queen Victoria Drive, Swadlincote, with the intention of stealing. He also pleaded guilty to this offence.
During his court appearance, Tilt also admitted breaching a 12-month conditional discharge imposed for
possessing a Class A-controlled drug on January 7, 2020.
He was sentenced following the conclusion of a trial over an offence of intentionally touching a woman in Newhall on October 21, which he had denied. He went on to be found guilty of this offence.
Magistrates jailed him for 40 weeks. Officers from Swadlincote police safer neighbourhood team previously told how they had to jump over a garden gate as they chased Tilt on foot into a residential street in Newhall, and then surrounded a house after he ran inside on October 27.
They said they were initially refused entry to the property by the occupant, but after threatening to break down the front door, they were allowed in. The property was searched and the wanted man was not initially found - until police searched the loft.
He was found hiding inside the roof space and was later arrested on suspicion of burglary, fraud, and assault. Details of the dramatic arrest was posted onto the team’s Facebook page with the headline “Swadlincote’s most wanted man”.
A spokesman for the team said at the time: “After recent reports of a suspicious male trying to break into vehicles and addresses an arrest was made. The occupant of the address refused to open the door, after the sergeant politely shouted, ‘If you don’t open the door it’s coming off its hinges.’”
“The person at the house insisted the wanted man was not at the address and that officers could not go inside without a warrant.
“The officer said: “Guess again” We went in and searched the address and the suspect was not located. The occupant was chuffed saying, “I told you he was not here.
“Officers decided to search the loft, one arrested for burglary, fraud, and assault and off to custody.”