Crooks who returned to crime scene are caught red-handed after fight
A scuffle ensued when the two thieves were challenged
A FIGHT broke out between two men and a pair of burglars they caught red-handed during an early morning raid.
Jamie Lee Day, 32, and Michael James Hirons, 33, were challenged as they left the same garage at a house in Earl Shilton that they had successfully targeted the previous day.
On the second occasion, however, the occupants of the house, in Hinckley Road, were expecting them and a scuffle ensued when the thieves were challenged.
Day, of Gwendoline Avenue, Hinckley, and Hirons, of Candle Lane, Earl Shilton, were each sentenced to two years and four months in prison after they pleaded guilty to burglary and two counts of causing actual bodily harm.
The incident happened on Thursday, July 16.
A spokesman for the police said: “Overnight, between Tuesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 15, burglars broke into a garage of a property in Hinckley Road, Earl Shilton, and stole some alcohol and food.
“Believing that the property might be targeted again, the victims installed a motion-sensor doorbell.
“At about 6am the next day, the occupants received a notification from the system that there was movement outside.
“When they went to investigate they heard noises from inside the garage and, shortly after, Day and
Hirons came out. The two men were challenged by the occupants, which resulted in a scuffle taking place and
Day and Hirons arming themselves with pieces of slate and tiles that were on the ground.
“One of the occupants was struck over the head with a tile, while the other sustained a cut to his finger after he was slashed with a piece of slate.
“The defendants left on foot and officers who arrived at the scene in minutes noticed the men walking nearby.
“Day was detained after a short foot chase while Hirons managed to make off. He was arrested that same day at his home.”
The culprits were charged with burglary and assault after detectives examined CCTV, mobile phone and doorbell footage from the scene.
After Day and Hirons were jailed at Leicester Crown Court, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, from Hinckley CID, praised the swift response of officers and detectives.
“This is a great example of team work between the neighbourhood officers who attended the initial incident and the investigation by detectives,” she said.
“The effects of both teams saw the initial arrest of the defendants and the gathering of crucial evidence to charge them and put them before the courts.
“The fact that Day and Hirons armed themselves with whatever they could find shows the lengths they went to to escape.
“Thankfully, neither of the men assaulted was serious injured.
“Their guilty pleas demonstrates the volume of evidence against them and that they had little option but to accept their crimes and face a period of time in prison.”