Teen burglar snared by police in Bolton after sunglasses gave him away

A FASHION-CONSCIOUS burglar was identified by police officers after he stole a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses from a car.

Kyle Crossman, 19, took a Vauxhall Insignia from the drive of a Bolton house he had just sneaked into through an unlocked back door while its owner was working in a nearby outbuilding.

At Bolton Crown Court, Phillip Hall, prosecuting, said the victim used the building as an office at the four-bed semi-detached house he lived in with his wife and three children on Forton Avenue.

On January 28, 2020, at 1.37pm, a man later identified as Crossman crept pass the man, who was working in his office and entered the house. He stole a tablet, mobile phone and car keys which were on a kitchen worktop as well as a security camera.

Mr Hall said it was not until the victim’s children returned home from school later and told him the family’s car was gone he realised he had been burgled.

The householder was able to retrieve two still images of the burglar, which showed him at the back door wearing a pair of distinctive trainers with a white stripe.

Police officers recovered further CCTV footage of Crossman, wearing the same trainers while walking down the street before and after the burglary which also showed him returning to the house and driving off in the car.

Police in Bolton shared the CCTV images on their social media and Crossman, who was aged 17 at the time of the offence, handed himself in two days later.

A search of the address he shared with his mother on Blenheim Road, Bolton, recovered a par of Ray Ban sunglasses which had been taken from the car and had the victim’s fingerprints on.

Mr Hall said the stolen vehicle was later recovered on February 9 with its number plates, spare tyre and sat nav system all removed.

It had been driven for around 3,000 to 4,000 miles and had depreciated in value from £5,000 to £3,000.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by Mr Hall, the victim described how it was “horrible to know someone has been in our family home.”

Although Crossman had no previous convictions at the time of the offence, Mr Hall revealed he had been handed a community order after pleading guilty to theft from a person and five counts of fraud following an incident in April 2020 when a 61-year-old woman had her handbag snatched on Deepdale Road, Breightmet.

It contained bank cards which were then used in a number of shops around the area, the court heard.

Mark Friend, defending, said Crossman had “made poor choices about who he spends his time with”.

“He (Crossman) has now disowned those friends and lives a quieter life with his mother,” he added. “She regards his behaviour as infantile and unacceptable.”

Passing sentence, Judge Tom Gilbart, said: “You should feel great shame that you made people afraid when they are in their own home - it is disgraceful.”

He imposed a community order with the requirements that Crossman completes 150 hours of unpaid work, 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

Crossman will also be the subject of three month curfew between 7am and 7pm.

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