DNA on bottle reveals identity of serial burglar

Man behind bars after admitting three raids in as many weeks

A burglar who left his DNA behind on a stolen bottle of bubbly has been jailed for four years.

Stuart Olson, 33, targeted three homes in the same street in Egerton over a three-week period.

The criminal – who stole wine, cash and power tools – was caught in the act after one victim woke up in the middle of the night concerned she was being broken into and called the police.

Officers were then able to connect him to a previous theft as Olson had left his DNA on a discarded bottle of prosecco in the garden of the house.

He was sentenced to four years in jail when he appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday last week after admitting two charges of burglary and one charge of attempted burglary.

The first home Olson, of Elm Close, Egerton, raided was in Glebelands, Egerton, on the night of Thursday, August 13.

He took wine, a mobile phone, food and a quantity of cash after forcing open the window of the house.

The victim, a woman in her 80s, woke early the next morning to find the house had been broken into.

Then, in the early hours of Tuesday, September 1, officers received a call that the victim was concerned her house was being broken into again.

Officers attended and saw Olson crossing the road towards New Road.

Despite claiming he had spent the evening drinking with a friend, he was unable to explain where the friend was or back up his story.

When searched by police, Olson was carrying the stolen mobile phone. He also had three bottles of glühwein in a carrier bag, which were traced back as being stolen from another house in Glebelands on Sunday, August 30.

The victim of that burglary had found power tools and wine missing from his garage.

Kent Police then matched Olson’s DNA to some that had been found on a discarded bottle of prosecco in the garden of the home from August 13, which confirmed that Olson was the burglar.

Olson was also charged with attempted burglary of another house in the same street which had been targeted in the same way between August 29 and 31.

Stuart Olson raided three homes in three weeks – but was caught when he left his DNA on a bottle of prosecco