A HAPLESS burglar who left his DNA at the scene of his crime and was caught on camera with the stolen goods has been jailed.

In November 2021, Trevor Sewell ransacked a house on Byrewood Walk in Kenton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, emptying drawers and cupboards before helping himself to a set of car keys with a distinctive key ring, a laptop, and a Dyson cordless vacuum.

The ‘brazen burglar’ which he has now become known by police investigated the crime, also stole the owner’s Vauxhall van, which had tools worth £1000 left inside.

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When the occupant woke up on the morning of November 24, he was shocked to find his patio doors and kitchen window wide open, and a trail of his possessions strewn across the garden, as well as numerous items missing.

When officers from Northumbria Police arrived on scene, they immediately spotted a footprint on the kitchen window, which had been forced open, and quickly set about finding the culprit of the crime.

And it wasn’t long before an eagle-eyed officer investigating the case recognised Sewell on CCTV because of his distinctive walk – and watched as he parked the missing van in a layby 300ft from his home.

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The footage also showed the thief alighting the vehicle and hiding something in the bushes before taking a vacuum cleaner from the back.

After identifying Sewell on CCTV, officers visited his address on Stanton Street and carried out a search where they recovered an illegal butterfly knife from his bed. A search of the bushes also uncovered the missing keys with the identical keyring that he stole from the property.

When the 44-year-old was arrested, he was wearing the same vest from the footage and a pair of Adidas trainers which forensics quickly identified as having the same footprint left at the scene.

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Sewell was charged and later appeared in court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon, burglary, driving without insurance and a licence.

Sewell appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on January 18, where he was sentenced to 40 months behind bars.

Speaking after the sentencing Detective Sergeant Dave Lumsden from Northumbria Police said: “This is a great result, and I am pleased Sewell has received a custodial sentence as his actions were completely unacceptable.

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“Burglary can have a profound impact on victims, who not only suffer financial loss at the hands of greedy intruders, but it can also cause extra stress and anxiety to know someone was in your home.

“My officers did a fantastic job in helping bring Sewell to justice and I want to thank everyone for the role they played. From the forensic teams who were able to take an exact print of the trainer marking left at the scene, to the officers who traced the van and recognised Sewell in the footage.”

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