Yahoo Movies Burglar caught under the bed jailed for over three years
A serial burglar who was caught by police hiding under a bed has been jailed for over three years.
Anthony Jackson, 39, was flushed out by police dogs inside a home he had just ransacked in December.
He caused up to £3,000 damage at the address and stole a wallet, bank cards and gold jewellery.
Bradford Crown Court heard Jackson, from Shipley, West Yorkshire, was on licence and on bail for handling stolen bicycles when a neighbour heard loud banging and saw lights on at a property in the early hours of 18 December.
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Prosecutor Jade Edwards told the court police arrived to find Jackson “garden hopping” at the back of the houses before he ran back into the unoccupied home that was being renovated.
He had two torches, a wrench and crowbar and smashed a nearby garage window in his search for items to steal.
The court heard Jackson broke into the house by damaging new patio doors and proceeded to ransack the property.
In search of things to plunder, Jackson put his foot through the loft ceiling and damaged internal doors.
The repair bill was estimated by the householder to be between £2,000 and £3,000.
Miss Edwards said Jackson spent twenty minutes raiding the house before he was apprehended.
The court heard Jackson was bitten by the police dog when he refused to come out from under the bed.
Jackson pleaded guilty to the burglary at the first opportunity and to dishonestly handling a bicycle and bicycle frame.
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The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, jailed Jackson for a total of 40 months.
He told him: “You ransacked and damaged the property and caused significant financial loss to the victim, and your culpability is higher because you were clearly equipped for burglary and it involved a degree of planning.”
Jackson had 46 previous convictions for 162 offences, including 20 house burglaries and 91 thefts and similar matters of dishonesty.
His barrister, Gerald Hendron, said he suffered with anxiety and depression and had taken too many tablets on the night of the burglary.
