Prolific burglar jailed after more than 60 offences in Luton and Peterborough
38-year-old sentenced to five and a half years behind bars
A burglar, who admitted to more than 60 offences in Luton and Peterborough, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
Christopher Smith, aged 38 and of no fixed address, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court after pleading guilty to one charge of burglary and two of attempted burglary.
He asked for 60 additional offences to be taken into consideration during sentencing.
Crime spree across Luton and Peterborough
Smith's offences mainly occurred in May this year at homes in Luton, with 11 crimes also reported in Peterborough during March and April.
In many cases, he targeted homes while residents were inside, and on two occasions he was disturbed mid-burglary and forced to flee.
He was identified and captured after leaving DNA traces on a bottle of cherryade at one home and a spanner used to break into another.
Police response
Detective Constable Pawel Karpinski, from Bedfordshire Police’s specialist residential burglary unit Operation Maze, said: “Smith is a one-man crime wave so it is good that he will be in prison for an extended period.
“It is particularly upsetting that he was prepared to break into homes at times when it was likely that people would be at home."
Karpinski added: “We know how disturbing burglaries can be for residents and I hope that the fact that we have managed to tie so many offences to this one man and that he is now behind bars gives some reassurance."
He emphasised the force’s commitment to tackling residential burglary, saying: “Burglary is a real priority in the force. We will attend every incident and have one of the highest rates of solving such crime in the country, but there is always more to do and we will continue to target prolific offenders like Smith."
For advice on protecting your home from burglary, visit Bedfordshire Police’s crime prevention page.