Burglar checklist: alarm, escape route – 16-stone rugby star?
A PROFESSIONAL burglar should, perhaps, be prepared to do a little light research before a little light housebreaking.
Just small things – what sort of alarm the property has, stairs, windows … perhaps a noisy dog.
Or, for example, a very large professional rugby league player, who might very well be coming home from training in the near future.
John Calvert neglected to do so, and ended up with a black eye – and a threeyear jail sentence – for his trouble.
The 23-year-old and two accomplices tried to steal a Playstation games console and cash belonging to Bradford Bulls player Jon Magrin.
The prop forward, who weighs 16 stone, confronted Calvert as he tried to flee the apartment in Bradford city centre and after trying to restrain him, punched him to the ground.
After a violent struggle Calvert again tried to flee but was tackled – and punched again, for good measure, before managing to get away.
However, Mr Magrin pulled off the burglar’s jacket as he fled and a mobile phone fell to the ground. He was arrested four days later – with a black eye – and DNA testing linked him to the phone. At Bradford Crown Court Judge Jonathan Rose jailed Calvert, a “threestrike” burglar, for three years.
Prosecutor Dave Mackay told the court that after kicking in the door of the apartment last November, one of the accomplices kept watch outside while Calvert took £500 in cash and another robber picked up Mr Magrin’s Playstation. Mr Mackay said that at that point the rugby player arrived home and saw Calvert coming out of his door.
Calvert got away by slashing at Mr Magrin with a screwdriver – causing a small cut to his ear which forced Mr Magrin to let go.
Mr Magrin’s Playstation was damaged and it cost £200 to repair the door.
Ken Green, mitigating, told the court Calvert had discovered the body of his mother, who had committed suicide, and described his head as “all over the place” at the time of the offence.
Judge Rose told Calvert he had made a living out of crime and had been happy to use violence when confronted. He said: “When that happened, you used a screwdriver as a weapon to strike against him to make your escape.
“It’s extremely fortunate that serious injury was not caused to him, because a screwdriver can be a potent weapon and you were prepared to use it.”
Speaking at the Bulls’ training ground after the sentencing, Mr Magrin said he was “pleased” with the punishment handed to Calvert.
He said: “I got out of training, and as I was driving past my apartment to park up I saw my lights were on. I’d left them off, so obviously alarm bells were ringing. I got out the car and saw one guy outside keeping watch. I ran straight in and saw the door had been kicked in.
“One guy was inside the flat trying to steal my Playstation. He saw me and bottled it, throwing the Playstation at my head. That disoriented me, and then the other one tried to get away so I grabbed him. “At first I was just trying to restrain him, I wasn’t trying to beat him up or anything. I was probably being too nice.
“I was waiting for the police to arrive as a few people in the street had called the police – but initially they had called the police on me, because they thought I was assaulting him for no reason. As I was trying to restrain him he tried to fight back and I got angry and started beating him up.
“The passers-by were having a go at me and I was explaining what I was doing, he pulled out some sort of weapon like a screwdriver and went for me. “I let him go because my safety was more important but in the struggle I got his phone and jacket.”