A bungling burglar has been sentenced to prison after leaving a crucial piece of evidence at the scene of his crime. Callum Fearon, aged 34, was jailed for 876 days at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday, June 3, after admitting to burglary.
How the Burglary Unfolded
Fearon spotted a flat in Nottingham city centre with a damaged window that would not lock and seized the opportunity to enter. He crept into the student property on Shakespeare Street in the early hours of March 27, stealing a laptop and a purse containing cash. He managed to escape undetected, but he left a fingerprint on a windowsill.
The Investigation
Crime scene investigators discovered the print while examining the burglary scene. They quickly matched it to Fearon, who already had three previous convictions for burglary. Nottinghamshire Police arrested him on April 3 after officers spotted him walking through Hyson Green.
Sentencing
Fearon, who has no fixed address, pleaded guilty to burglary and received a sentence of 876 days, equivalent to around two years and five months.
Police Comment
Detective Constable Tom Dawes commented on the case, saying: "It is fair to say Callum Fearon is well-known to us due to his long offending history. This week's sentencing represents the fourth time he has now been convicted of burglary, a horribly invasive crime that can cause real upset. We are naturally pleased to see him behind bars. Fearon's criminal history meant we already had his details on file, so we were quickly able to establish he was responsible after his fingerprints were discovered at the scene."
DC Dawes added: "As this incident showed, a lot of burglaries are carried out by opportunistic criminals, so it is important people make it harder for these offenders to operate by doing simple things like keeping their windows and doors secure."
