A BURGLAR who ransacked a sports centre and left a trail of blood at the scene tried to convince cops he had been "set up" for the crime.

Christopher Bewick smashed his way into the Raich Carter Sports Centre, in Sunderland, earlier this year and left behind a trail of destruction.

Once inside, the 35-year-old vandalised a number of vending machines and removed the money trays – as well as swiping various mobile phones and electronic devices.

But Bewick inadvertently cut himself and left blood behind at the scene which came back as a forensic match.

Within 24 hours of the forensic hit, Bewick, of Saint Barnabas Way, Sunderland, was arrested and interviewed about the offence.

The Northern Echo:

When asked in police interview about his DNA being found at the scene, Bewick claimed somebody must have taken some of his blood from a syringe and planted it at the scene to “fit him up”.

On Friday he changed his story and pleaded guilty to burglary when appearing before magistrates in South Tyneside.

He was subsequently jailed for 26 weeks and ordered to pay £500 compensation.

The Northern Echo:

Detective Sergeant Chris-Raper Smith, who leads the Southern Burglary Team based at Southwick Police Station, said: “This offence caused considerable upset within the community and had a big effect on those who work at and use the sports centre.

“Bewick left a huge amount of damage as he smashed his way around during an untidy search – showing absolutely no regard for the centre or anybody connected with it.

“Unfortunately for him, his deception was laid bare after leaving a trail of blood at the scene and it was fantastic work by the Force’s forensic experts to irrefutably link him to the crime.

“Bewick even had the audacity to claim that somebody had planted his blood at the scene but this story was quickly abandoned in court when he realised the weight of evidence against him.

“There is absolutely no place for offending of this type and we will continue to do all we can to bring burglars and thieves to justice.”

The Southern Burglary Team consists of a team of detectives tasked with reviewing every break-in across Sunderland and South Tyneside.

They work hand-in-hand with the neighbourhood policing teams to monitor crime trends, identify offenders and prevent incidents from happening in the first place.