Thief named 'Conman' who stole Hull Royal Infirmary junior doctor's laptop while he was sleeping is jailed

A thief who stole a laptop from a junior doctor who was taking a well-deserved nap on hospital grounds has been jailed for eight months.
By Susie Beever
Published 12th Aug 2021, 13:10 BST

Aptly-named Lee Conman is facing months behind bars after Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust joined forces with Humberside Police to track him down, after he broke into Hull York Medical School’s library in the early hours of the morning last month.

Conman, 39, forced his way into the library on the same grounds as Hull Royal Infirmary last month and stole a bag belonging to a male junior doctor who was taking a rest in a quiet zone allocated for staff who have had a tough shift.

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The bag contained to doctor's laptop, and he quickly raised the alarm after waking and finding it was gone.

Conman sneaked onto the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary and stole a laptop from a sleeping junior doctor in the medical libraryConman sneaked onto the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary and stole a laptop from a sleeping junior doctor in the medical library
Conman sneaked onto the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary and stole a laptop from a sleeping junior doctor in the medical library

CCTV showed the thief leaving the building carrying the bag, and the Trust's security manager Chris Watson passed the footage onto the hospital liaison officer in Humberside Police.

Conman, of Albert Avenue, Hull, and he was arrested within hours, He appeared at Hull Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday) after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, and was sentenced to eight months in prison.

Mr Watson said: “Those who attempt to commit crime or who commit crimes against our staff should know that we will do whatever it takes to bring them to justice.

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“Our arrangement with the police means no time is lost in making sure we have the best possible chance of making sure perpetrators of crimes in our hospitals and against our staff face the full force of the law.”

Conman sneaked onto the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary and stole a laptop from a sleeping junior doctor in the medical library. Picture: GettyConman sneaked onto the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary and stole a laptop from a sleeping junior doctor in the medical library. Picture: Getty
Conman sneaked onto the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary and stole a laptop from a sleeping junior doctor in the medical library. Picture: Getty

Neighbourhood Beat Officer Sarah Wilson said: “As the Beat Officer for the hospital, I’m really pleased that justice has been served.

“Our healthcare professionals work tirelessly to be able to assist patients who require medical treatment and, without the appropriate equipment, this can make their job increasingly difficult.

“Burglary is a serious offence that we dedicate lots of our resource to as it’s important that everyone in our force area feels safe at home and work.”