Career crook jailed over burglary ‘rampage’ at businesses in Leeds

Marc Walker carried out eight burglaries in just one evening when he broke into an office complex in Leeds city centre.

A court heard Walker, 35, has more than 70 previous convictions dating back to the 1990s, including 29 for burglaries at commercial premises.

Walker, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to one offence of burglary and asked for 12 similar offences to be taken into consideration when he appeared before Leeds Crown Court.

David Lampitt, prosecuting, said Walker and another man, Matthew Moore, 23, targeted JMP consultants on June 11 this year.

The company occupies three floors of the West One office complex on Wellington Street in Leeds city centre.

The pair were caught on CCTV entering the building through a damaged door. A security officer contacted police after spotting them.

The two men searched offices and stole £3,600 worth of laptop computers but were arrested as they tried to leave in possession of the equipment. Moore told officers: “I’m guilty, bang to rights.”

Moore, of Springbank Avenue, Gildersome, pleaded guilty to burglary.

Walker admitted to a schedule of offences worth £5,000 which included eight burglaries in one evening at office at the Joseph’s Well complex on Hanover Walk. Elyas Patel, for Walker, said: “He has what can only be described as an appalling criminal record generally, and a persistent and rampaging record for commercial burglaries in general.

“His record might suggest he is some well oiled burglary machine. The reality is very far from that. There is nothing professional about the commission or execution of these offences. They were spontaneous and opportunistic.”

Mr Patel said Walker had a history of drug addiction which had been replaced by a dependency to alcohol.

Sean Smith, for Moore, said his client had a much less serious record of offending and described Walker as the more “sophisticated” offender.

Moore was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was also made the subject of a community order and told to do 150 hours unpaid work.

Jailing Walker, judge Penelope Belcher said: “This is persistent and repeated offending.”

“Mr Patel describes you as not being a professional as the offences were not particularly clever.

“You are in any other sense of the word a professional non-dwelling burglar. It appears to be what you do for a living.”