Caught in the act!
Homeowner on holiday in France watches illegal immigrant burgling his house live on a webcam
A HOMEOWNER on holiday in France caught a burglar trying to raid his house back in the UK – by watching him on the internet.
David Pearce alerted his neighbours in Twickenham, south- west London, by phone after viewing the footage on a webcam.
They rushed to the house and caught illegal immigrant Dorian Puka, 21, hiding in a bush, although two accomplices got away.
Albanian Puka was sentenced to nine months in jail at Isleworth Crown Court this week and has agreed to be expelled from the UK on his release.
He admitted two burglaries, the raid at Mr Pearce's house and one earlier in Ealing, west London, where he left behind a glove which DNA linked to him.
Alerted
Ruxana Nasser, prosecuting, told the court the Twickenham break- in took place about 11am on August 17.
Mr Pearce was on a two- week holiday in France and not due back until August 30.
But he was able to keep an eye on his home via a wifi webcam which showed footage inside his property.
Ms Nasser said: “He noticed men trying to force their way into his house from the back.
“He alerted one neighbour who couldn't leave the house because they had young children, so Mr Pearce alerted another.
“They immediately went to the premises and noticed that the patio doors were open.
“The neighbour shouted ‘ police, police, you ********, I can do karate'.”
Two men then fled, escaping in a BMW, but Puka ran off and hid in a bush where he was caught.
The court was told that during the Ealing raid a month before on July 4, Puka's legs had been spotted “flailing” through the window of a property he was attempting to burgle.
Judge Robin Johnson was told that Puka made off with £ 20 worth of goods but left behind a glove in the back garden of the property and that DNA tests were able to link it to him.
Jemima Ivens, in mitigation for Puka, said she did not believe the burglaries had been carried out with much degree of planning.
But Judge Johnson interjected: “Why do people have gloves in the summer?”
Ms Ivens said: “Mr Puka has been in custody since that point in August, and is a man previously of good character.
“He has already signed papers for his removal from the country.” Jailing Puka, Judge Johnson told him: “Those who break into others' houses in this country go to prison.
“You were with a confederate, there was a certain amount of planning and there were two offences.
“You have not been in this country for a long amount of time and are, according to the probation officer, an illegal immigrant.”
Puka, of no fixed abode, is expected to be deported within the next two months.