A TRAVELLING burglar has been jailed for his involvement in a Cumbrian house break-in – four months after he failed to show at court to face the music.
Carlisle Crown Court heard how intruders forced entry to a married couple’s locked home in Kirkby Stephen on March 20 while occupants were out.
The female householder returned to find a window broken, and that highly sentimental property – including wedding photographs – were gone.
Also stolen was a Royal Victorian Order (RVO) medal personally awarded to her husband by the Queen in recognition of his RAF service.
In a statement, the man’s wife spoke of being left “extremely cross and shocked” by the burglary, and had added: “I can’t believe anybody has been in my house.”
Two culprits, Sevi Conley and Anthony Padgett, both aged 23, were nabbed while preparing to leave a train in Skipton later that day. Police were tracking Conley after he insulted a police officer at the North Yorkshire station on his way to Cumbria. Loot which included the RVO medal was recovered and returned.
Conley’s fingerprint was found on one stolen item and, on his phone, were damning text messages in which he and Padgett discussed a “pre-planned rural burglary”.
Conley, of Cross Hills, near Keighley, admitted burglary, and passing a fake £20 note in York during 2018. He was jailed for 47 months in July.
But his partner-in-crime Padgett – who had also previously admitted burglary – failed to show at court for the sentencing hearing.
However, he has now been punished by Recorder Patrick Palmer, who heard how the defendant had latterly handed himself in to police.
For the break-in, Recorder Palmer jailed Padgett, of Braithwaite Way, Keighley, for 32 months.
An additional four-month jail term was added for his failure to attend court in July. Recorder Palmer ordered this term to be served consecutively.
