Lead roof thief who got stuck in branches is jailed

Firefighters rescued man from tree after failed country house escape

A THIEF who acrobatically jumped onto a tree to escape being caught stealing at a Victorian country house rooftop got stuck in the branches – and had to be lowered down by firefighters before being handed to police.

Hapless criminal James Garland, 36, left Havant mansion Southleigh Park House with a bill of £6,500 after stealing lead roof during his hijinks.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Garland along with two other men went to the Eastleigh Road location on July 21 after 9pm to steal the roofing before the defendant was caught ‘redhanded’.

After carefully navigating his way onto the top of the Grade II country house, Garland was quickly caught out after security ‘heard someone on the roof ’.

‘You jumped into a tree – but were easily found,’ judge Timothy Mousley QC said.

He added: ‘Firefighters had to get you down.’

But despite being caught in the act Garland, of Bishopstoke Road, Leigh Park, remained tight-lipped over his misdemeanour. ‘You were caught red-handed – I don’t understand why you persisted with a not guilty plea until a week before the trial,’ the judge said.

‘During your police interview you gave “no comment” answers” – but the evidence was overwhelming.’

Judge Mousley said costs to make amends to the roof came to £6,500.

In June this year Garland was given a nine month jail term suspended for 12 months for dangerous driving for an offence in December 2017. It meant the defendant, who admitted a charge of theft for the Southleigh Park House raid, was in breach of the suspended sentence.

Judge Mousley concluded: ‘Uppermost in my mind is to deter you from committing these types of offences.’

The judge then served up a 15 month jail ter m – but decided he could suspend it for 18 months. Garland was also told to complete 20 rehabilitation days.