Burglar raided cafes and restaurants in nine-day crime spree
HE WORE A COVID MASK AND GLOVES AS HE TARGETED BUSINESSES IN THE SAME STREET
A YOUNG burglar targeted a string of restaurants and cafes in the same street during a nine-day crime spree in Stapleford.
Nottingham Crown Court heard how Joshua Bonser disguised his face with a coronavirus mask and wore gloves so as to not leave any DNA or fingerprints at the scenes as he forced his way into the venues when they were closed during the early hours.
On one occasion, the 21-year-old disturbed the owner who lived in a flat above and who came downstairs and tried to apprehend him without success. In an impact statement, a different victim told how the defendant’s break-in was the third he had experienced in recent times which he described as “heartbreaking”.
Jailing him for two years and seven months, Judge Mark Watson said: “One of these offences was as close to a domestic burglary as a commercial one can be as the victim lived above it and confronted you.
“Another described how challenging it was, that he works hard for his money and can’t afford to keep repairing the damage.
“He is a kindly man who said he knows you having let you use his phone on a number of occasions and who you have asked for money previously. You said you committed these under pressure from your family to pay your way but that is not an explanation as to why you capitulated in this way.”
Richard Thatcher, prosecuting, said Bonser’s nine-day crime spree all happened in Derby Road, Stapleford, between January 6 and 15, 2024. He said the first break-in happened at Cinnamon where he forced his way into the kitchen and then stole alcohol, cash and a box containing Christmas tips meant for the staff.
The prosecutor said the defendant, who was living in nearby Horace Avenue at the time, then twice targeted Alo Pizza in a matter of days and on the second occasion, made so much noise he woke the owner who lived above it. Mr Thatcher said: “He attempted to grab him, but the defendant managed to escape. CCTV showed him causing damage to get in and wearing a Covid mask over half of his face.
“The next count relates to a burglary at Tommy Tuckers Cafe where he broke in at 5am.” Bonser, who gave an address to the court of Bupton Road, Stafford, pleaded guilty to counts of burglary and attempted burglary and has seven convictions for 21 offences on his record. He also admitted the Stapleford offences put him in breach of a suspended sentence imposed in February last year for burglary.
Digby Johnson, mitigating, said his client had been living in Grimsby and then Stafford with a woman who had given birth to his child. He said: “Why did he commit these offences? The relationship in Stafford broke down because the girl’s mum did not like him, so he returned to Nottingham and had no money or benefits. His family then made it clear to him he needed to pay his way.”