April 12, 2023 10.00 am This story is over 13 months old

Burglar detained by public after trying to enter Lincolnshire village homes

He admitted to ‘half an hour of madness’
Christopher London was jailed for two years and four months. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A burglar who was detained by a member of the public after trying to enter three homes in a Lincolnshire village was today jailed for two years and four months.

Christopher London, 35, was caught after going on a crime spree in Holton Le Clay on the night of January 23 this year.

Lincoln Crown Court heard London was filmed on CCTV trying to enter two houses in Louth Road and was confronted by another home owner after setting foot in her utility room.

The court was told London had a bad criminal record for house burglaries and was due to be recalled to prison when he committed the offences in Holton Le Clay.

Noel Philo, prosecuting, told the court: “It would seem Mr London went rather wild on the night of January 23 and reverted to his previous history of house burglaries.”

Mr Philo said the first incident occured just after 10pm when London was filmed trying a side entrance by a doorbell camera.

A few minutes later London was confronted by a female home owner after he set one foot inside her utility room.

Mr Philo said London fled without taking anything after the woman shouted: “Oi.”

“She felt very shaken up to be confronted in her own home,”Mr Philo added.

An hour later London was caught on CCTV trying another door handle in Louth Road.

The home owner said she felt “terrified” when she watched the footage the next morning.

Mr Philo said people in Louth Road became aware of London’s activity in the area and he was detained by a member of the public with a “certain degree of force.”

London, of Watford Avenue, Grimsby, gave a no comment interview to the police but later admitted one charge of burglary and two offences of attempted burglary on January 23.

In his probation interview London admitted to having “half an hour of madness” in Holton Le Clay after taking some medication, which would “lose him years of his life.”

Passing sentence Judge James House KC accepted London had been “acting strange” on that night after seemingly changing his ways since 2016.

But Judge House told London he qualified as a “three strikes burglar” because of his previous convictions and had to face a minimum sentence of 876 days imprisonment.

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