Prison for Thanet burglar who hid in car with stolen lamp

A Thanet burglar who was found hiding in the back of the car with a stolen feather-trimmed lamp has been jailed for five years.

Mark Heard, 37, of no fixed address, was sentenced for the burglary, as well as other offences, when he appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday, March 17.

On December 4, 2019, Heard burgled a home in Broadstairs, and stole items including the lamp and sets of keys. The victim reported the matter to officers on patrol in the area, who stopped a vehicle which had been seen earlier by the property.

Heard was found in the rear seat of the car, along with the lamp.

The victim’s home had been left in a mess by Heard, with water damage in the kitchen, and furniture damaged by cigarette butts.

He had asked a woman he knew for a lift to a house he claimed he had bought and directed her to the property in Kingsgate Bay Road. Once inside, she became concerned at his bad behaviour and suspicious that the house was not really his. Persuading her to give him a lift elsewhere, he left, carrying the lamp under his arm.  He was arrested by police a short time later.

As part of an investigation into the burglary, Heard’s fingerprints were found on a glass tumbler and a wine bottle at the victim’s house.

At court he admitted carrying out the burglary, as well three other separate matters; throwing a bucket of urine over a man in July 2017; assaulting an emergency worker in August 2019; and causing criminal damage on in November 2019.

He was jailed for a total of five years for the four offences.

Investigating officer, PC Emma Wheeler, said: “Mark Heard seemed to be on a one-man crusade to upset others and was happy to steal and damage property which wasn’t his.

“Burglary is a very invasive crime, with criminals walking through your home, touching your belongings. Heard took it a step further by causing a significant mess which must have been really disconcerting for the victim.

“I’m glad we were able to return the stolen items to their rightful owner, and I hope Heard’s prison sentence brings her reassurance.”