January 10, 2018 11.23 am This story is over 74 months old

Police catch Lincoln burglar strolling down drive carrying champagne and laptop

Brazen burglar.
Antony Jones. Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A brazen criminal who was caught walking down the driveway of a house he’d just burgled with boxes of champagne in his hands has been jailed for three years.

Anthony Jones, 30, of Vine Street, Lincoln had just finished raiding the property on Queensway when police officers arrived at the scene.

He was strolling away carrying numerous boxes of champagne, whiskey and a laptop in broad daylight when officers greeted him at around 9am on December 4.

Lincolnshire Police had received a tip-off from a 999 caller informing them a man had smashed a window of the home with a brick and was inside the property.

Officers were at the scene in 10 minutes, just as Jones was walking down the drive.

He was remanded in custody on December 5 and was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on January 8 after pleading guilty.

Detective Constable Andrew Woodcock, Lincoln CID, said: “This case is a great example of how effective the 999 system can be.

“By reporting this crime to us the moment it began, we were able to catch this man in the act as he walked down the drive with the stolen goods in his hand.

“The sentencing matches the seriousness of the crime, which showed how little regard Jones had towards breaking into someone’s property in broad daylight, and taking what somebody else had worked hard for.

“We will continue to work with urgency and determination to bring these types of offenders to justice.”