WISBECH: Burglar caught red handed when he met plain clothes police officer

A BURGLAR was caught red handed when he climbed out of a broken window and found himself face to face with a plain clothes police officer. The policeman had gone to A Aerials in Scrimshaws Passage, Wisbech after discovering some broken glass on the path i

A BURGLAR was caught red handed when he climbed out of a broken window and found himself face to face with a plain clothes police officer.

The policeman had gone to A Aerials in Scrimshaws Passage, Wisbech after discovering some broken glass on the path in the early hours.

He found John Bartlett climbing out of a window, and Bartlett's pregnant girlfriend Keeley Bailey standing outside with a dark coloured holdall.

"Bartlett and Bailey ran away, leaving the holdall behind," prosecutor Marion Bastin told Fenland magistrates. "The police officer chased them and called for assistance. Bartlett dropped a television remote control."

Bartlett, 23, of Post Office Lane, Wisbech; and Bailey, 20, who lives at the Ferry Project hostel in Wisbech, both admitted the burglary on May 21.

Bartlett admitted a second charge of burglary; he broke into the same premises earlier the same day, and got away with a Sanyo 32-inch television and an Amstrad Sky digital box.

Mitigating, solicitor Andrew Spence said Bartlett was the instigator of the offence. He was struggling financially, but spent money on drink that impaired his judgement.

"His record does not make attractive reading," said Mr Spence, "and he did involve Keeley Bailey. It was an opportunistic offence, he has asked me to apologise to the shop owner."

Bailey is remorseful, he said. She had a difficult upbringing, and will have to move out of the Ferry Project when her baby is born.

Both defendants were given conditional bail until they are sentenced on July 7.