Four years for Leeds burglar traced through calls from phone he stole

Shaun Turner was caught after he stole a mobile phone from a house in Cross Gates and he used it to make calls after carrying out the break-in.

The phone was traced to his home in Stanks Drive and items stolen during break-ins 
at homes in the city were 
recovered.

Police were able to link him to the burglary of a house in Penda’s Way, Cross Gates, which belonged to an 84-year-old woman.

The woman, who had lived at the property for over 60 years, was left badly shaken as she returned home at night to find Turner in her home. He left with expensive jewellery.

Turner also stole gold jewellery belonging to a child when he broke into a house in Dewsbury Road, Beeston.

He took jewellery from another night time raid on a house in Allenby Road, Beeston. The court heard Turner also made a failed attempt to break into a house in the village of Scholes.

Turner, 33, pleaded guilty to three offences of burglary, one of attempted burglary, two of handling stolen goods and asked the court to take four further similar offences of burglary into consideration. He has 34 convictions for burglary dating back to 1996, and was out of prison on licence for burglary when he committed his latest offences.

Simon Alexander, mitigating, said Turner had been determined to start a new life after he had been released from his last sentence. He managed to find a job as a forklift truck driver and was taking medication to held him withdraw from heroin addiction.

Mr Alexander said Turner lost the job when he was arrested and kept in custody over other matters. After his release he was unable to obtain his medication and returned to abusing drugs.

Jailing Turner, Judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, said he was using sentencing guidelines which allowed him to impose a longer jail term than if the offence had been committed in other areas where the burglary rate was not as high.

He told Turner: “I am afraid you are a career burglar of dwelling houses.

“It has been said to you time and again the distress it causes to householders.

“The situation is aggravated by the fact that the offences were committed while you were on licence.

“The time is going to come where you are going to have to rid yourself of your drug habit or spend your life going in and out of prison.”