A BURGLAR who was caught hiding in his victim's loft and making telephone calls as police searched the house, is today behind bars. Christopher Long, of Lambeth Close, Ipswich, pleaded guilty yesterday at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court to burglary with intent to steal, failing to surrender to custody and a separate incident earlier this month of breaching the conditions of a young offenders licence.

A BURGLAR who was caught hiding in his victim's loft and making telephone calls as police searched the house, is today behind bars.

Christopher Long, of Lambeth Close, Ipswich, pleaded guilty yesterday at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court to burglary with intent to steal, failing to surrender to custody and a separate incident earlier this month of breaching the conditions of a young offenders licence.

Police nabbed the 18-year-old after hearing him chatting on his victims mobile phone while hiding in the loft.

Appearing by video link the court heard the teenager entered a terraced house in Kitchener Road, Ipswich, on June 2 this year.

Prosecuting solicitor Andrea Reynolds said: “This was quite an unusual burglary as it was in the day time. The occupant had left the premises early in the morning to go to work and returned at 4.30pm that day.

“He realised a door had been opened that had been left closed and made a search of the house. He found blood on the bathroom window and walls and there was a knife he recognised from a set in his kitchen on his bed.

“He formed the view that the defendant was not in the house and called the police and his family.”

The court heard that when police arrived on the scene they noticed blood on the loft hatch and heard the defendant talking.

Miss Reynolds said: “He was up in the loft making calls on his victim's phone. He made eleven calls.”

The court heard police gained access into the loft through a neighbouring property. He was bailed by police in respect of this but did not return to answer bail on July 3.

Defence solicitor John Hughes said his client was re-arrested on July 6.

He added: “Although my client has a previous record he doesn't have any (convictions) for domestic burglary. He had cut himself quite badly and he had walked past the property and seen the window open.

“His life was in turmoil at the time over childcare issues and the purpose of going in was in fact to make some phone calls. He went into the loft when he heard noises and he was trying to hide there.”

Magistrates sentenced Long to 15 weeks for the burglary and three weeks for the failure to surrender to custody to run consecutively. He was fined £50 for breaching the conditions of his licence. Long is expected to serve half his sentence before he is released on licence again.

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