Burglar caught after leaving prints at student flat

Police captured the moment Fearon, 34, of Colville Street, Nottingham, was arrested

A burglar who stole from a student flat in Nottingham was caught after leaving his fingerprints on a windowsill.

Callum Fearon stole £600 worth of electrical items from the flat in Howard Street on 19 June, Nottinghamshire Police said.

He was arrested on 30 June and charged with burglary, along with three unrelated shop thefts at branches of Greggs between 13 and 18 June, the force added.

Fearon, 34, of Colville Street, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to burglary and three shop thefts and received a prison sentence of one year and nine months at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

Fearon was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court

Police said the student had left a window slightly ajar for ventilation when an Xbox, gaming headset, laptop, Bluetooth speaker, computer monitor and two debit cards were taken.

When he returned home, the force said he noticed the window was completely shut and that the mechanism had been unscrewed. He called the police after finding a number of his possessions missing.

Fearon went on to shoplift from Greggs branches in Clumber Street and Beastmarket Hill.

Det Con Gavin Harper said: "Fearon is a prolific offender, and his criminal history meant we had his fingerprints and DNA on file, which linked him to the burglary.

"He is well-known to local officers, and so was immediately recognised when CCTV of the Greggs thefts was obtained.

"Burglaries are an invasive crime and the thought of strangers coming into people's homes can be deeply upsetting for the victims.

"Likewise, shoplifting harms businesses through significant financial losses, leading to higher security costs and increased prices for customers."