Burglar with 67 convictions told ‘you are ruining lives’
POLICE were able to link a car key burglar to the address in Birmingham he had raided after finding a footprint of his trainer, a court heard.
Ben Breslin, who had convictions for 67 previous offences, claimed that it was there because he had been visiting a friend next door.
But, at Birmingham Crown Court, Breslin, 30, of no fixed address, admitted burglary and theft as well as a separate charge of attempted burglary and was jailed for two years and five months.
Judge Heidi Kubic QC told him: “You need to understand the impact of your actions on other people.
“Every time you force entry into someone else’s home you are responsible for the impact on the householders, not just the physical damage to the house and the financial cost of the items that you took. They were happy in their house but they now want to move.”
Mark Phillips prosecuting, said the family living at the address in Rubery had been asleep upstairs on the night of March 16 this year when Breslin broke in.
When they awoke, they discovered their kitchen door had been forced, cupboards had been opened and keys to a Volkswagen Caddy, amongst other things, had been taken.
The vehicle, which had been parked on their drive, had gone and police found a footprint on the kitchen floor.
The vehicle was later spotted in Longbridge but the driver got away following a pursuit. A short time later, Breslin was arrested on a different matter and was found in possession of the keys to the VW.
Mr Phillips said the footprint was also matched to trainers taken from Breslin. He said that in the early hours of March 17 Breslin and another male were captured on CCTV trying to enter another property in Rednal where a Golf was parked outside and opening a porch door. They fled after the householder was awoken by his dog barking.
Breslin told the court he committed the offences because of drug debts and his mental health. “I apologise for what I have done,” he said.