FACE OF ONE OF CITY’S MOST PROLIFIC CRIMINALS WHO CAUSES ‘MISERY TO THE PUBLIC’
Burglar with 198 previous offences
BURGLAR Matthew Dark sneaked into a home while the owner’s wife and children were asleep in bed.
And five days earlier the 48-yearold had stolen items from a nurse’s car and damaged another vehicle in a garage below a block of apartments in Newcastle.
Stoke-on-trent Crown Court heard Dark has a total of 198 previous offences on his record, making him one of Stoke-ontrent’s most prolific criminals.
Now the city will have a reprieve from his offending after he was jailed for 930 days. Prosecutor Alison Whalley said the defendant committed all the offences in February.
On February 11 he targeted a garage underneath a block of flats in London Road, Newcastle. Miss Whalley said: “The car park was for residents’ cars. He stole items from a vehicle, attempted to steal a Ford Focus and damaged a car door.
“He gained entry to a car and stole the owner’s nurse’s badge, £10 in loose change, a car phone charger and nurse’s scrubs.”
The defendant burgled a home in Judith Grove, Fenton, while the owner’s wife and children were asleep in bed in the early hours of February 16. Miss Whalley said: “There was an untidy search of the premises. Nothing was taken.
“The defendant gained access to the garage and damaged a window. Two mountain bikes were stolen, one worth £2,500 and one worth £500.
“A police officer found the defendant in possession of the mountain bike on February 16. The other items had been stored nearby. His fingerprint was found on the window.”
The victim of the burglary said he returned home from his nightshift to realise he had been burgled when his wife and three children were asleep in bed. His son is scared the defendant may return.
The nurse who had her ID badge and uniform stolen said it made her feel ‘sick to the stomach’ and added the emotional turmoil has been ‘horrendous’. She no longer feels safe in the garage or her home.
Dark, of Ivy House Road, Hanley, pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary, theft, attempted theft and damaging property.
Anis Ali, mitigating, said there has been a gap in the defendant’s offending. Mr Ali said: “He is involved in the drug culture and has been for as long as he can remember.
“He was taken advantage of. He was committing crimes for the benefit of others to provide for illicit substances. He recognises he has an unenviable history.”
Judge Graeme Smith said:
“I asked for the victim impact statements to be read out so you can understand just how significant the impact has been. I have no doubt you gave no thought whatsoever on the impact. You need to understand just how serious the impact of your offending is.”
The sentence was welcomed by Staffordshire Police. PC Stuart Stanway, the officer in charge of the case, said: “We were able to return all of the stolen items to the victim of the burglary while apprehending a prolific offender who continued to cause misery to the public of Stoke-on-trent.
“I am satisfied with Dark’s sentence as we are committed to getting justice for victims in our community.”