Ginger beer lands thief in court
A PROFESSIONAL thief is behind bars today after he was caught out thanks to a bottle of ginger beer.John Millwood was told by a judge he posed a risk to shopkeepers and homeowners in Ipswich after he admitted burgling an Ipswich home.
A PROFESSIONAL thief is behind bars today after he was caught out thanks to a bottle of ginger beer.
John Millwood was told by a judge he posed a risk to shopkeepers and homeowners in Ipswich after he admitted burgling an Ipswich home.
Millwood, 44, of Hyntle Close, Ipswich, who confessed to breaking into the three-bedroom home in Bramford Lane in July, has previously been convicted of more than 100 shoplifting offences as well as another burglary.
Ian Pells, prosecuting, told Ipswich Crown Court that the tenants of the house had woken up on July 10 to find their front door open, a window open, and a collection of DVDs on their couch.
He said: “Nothing had actually been taken.
“It seems that whoever was committing this offence, and we now know that is the defendant, had been disturbed and made his way out through the front door.”
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However Millwood had left a ginger beer bottle at the scene and police officers were able to use DNA technology to track him down.
Hugh Vas, mitigating, said: “There was no damage and there was no loss of property.
“He tells me that he's got his fingers badly burnt by this. He says he realises he has to stop.”
However Judge Peter Thompson gave Millwood, who is currently serving a two-year sentence for the previous burglary, a 12 month prison term to run consecutively to his current sentence.
Judge Thompson added: “You are a professional thief.
“You've been a professional thief since you were 16-years-old.
“This isn't a game. I think you should be kept out of harm's way so that you can't prey on homeowners and shop owners of Ipswich which you have been doing.”
