Man jailed for burglary (From Warrington Guardian)

Man jailed for burglary

A MAN has been imprisoned after a court heard he stole property from a flat while its occupier was asleep.

Richard Willis, aged 22, of Forshaw Street, also admitted burgling a petrol station on the same evening at a hearing at Warrington Crown Court on Friday.

Judge David Hale heard the first burglary took place at the BP garage on Winwick Road just before midnight on July 25. The defendant and two others went into the shop. Willis was seen to shake the metals shutters of where the alcohol was kept to force open a gap. He and the other men then stole £24.78 worth of lager.

The second incident happened just more than an hour later at a ground floor flat on Toll Bar Road. The occupant was asleep at the time of the incident and the court was told the defendant was seen walking out of the front door holding a video player. Further property was later discovered missing.

In his defence the court was told that he had entered an early guilty plea and that he was drunk at the time of the incident.

He was given a 17-month custodial sentence with a 38-day reduction for the time already served in prison.