A persistent Carlisle crook stole watches while burgling his aunt and uncle’s home, and was wearing one when police caught up with him hours later.
The couple were upstairs in their address, off Newtown Road in the city, when James Felton Queen sneaked inside on the late afternoon of April 21. When the couple came downstairs, they found a note from their 45-year-old nephew, who had pinched two mobile phones, a wrist watch, pocket watch and a bag of clothing.
Queen was arrested hours later wearing one of the watches, while the other — plus one phone — were found in his possession. He initially denied the offence, claimed he bought the property and stated: “I wouldn’t burgle my own family.”
However, he later admitted a burglary which was committed while he was subject to prison licence for a previous harassment crime.
In a victim impact statement, Queen’s aunt had spoke of being left feeling “anxious and worried”.
Carlisle Crown Court was told today Queen had 125 convictions on his criminal record for 234 offences — 51 for theft and similar. He had been previously sentenced for affray, in 2015, and jailed three years later for a house burglary.
Recorder David Temkin QC noted Queen’s difficulties early in a life blighted by alcohol addiction. His lawyer, Anthony Parkinson, said of the April burglary: “He had taken some prescription medication and other drugs, and had very little recollection when arrested by police as to what had gone on.”
Recorder Temkin jailed Queen, of John Street, Carlisle, for eight months, observing: “You have an astonishingly bad record.”
