A ‘three strikes’ burglar who climbed into a new Coventry University student’s room through an open window in a bid to steal his laptop has been jailed.
Warwick Crown Court heard that Wesley Reid denied taking the student’s wallet containing £200 in cash, but pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal his laptop.
Reid (41) of Albany Road, Earlsdon, Coventry, was jailed for 876 days (just under two years and five months) – representing a three-year sentence with a 20 per cent reduction for his guilty plea.
Prosecutor Amrisha Parathalingam said that on September 21 a new Coventry University student moved into his flat in student accommodation in Queens Road, Earlsdon.
As he was sorting out his things, with the window open for some fresh air, there was a knock on the window from Reid who offered to sell him some perfume.
The student said he was not interested, and Reid left, but returned five minutes later asking the student to check whether someone he claimed to know in the flat above was there.
At first he declined, but left the room when Reid began shouting aggressively.
He returned to his room after a couple of minutes, shut the window and went to bed – but the next morning he found his wallet had gone, so called the police, said Miss Parathalingam.
“But that is not now at the door of this defendant,” Judge Andrew Lockhart QC pointed out.
When the police checked CCTV recordings they recognised Reid, who had a number of previous convictions and was a ‘third strike’ burglar, outside the window, leaving and then returning and climbing in, Miss Parathalingam added.
David Murray, defending, said Reid, whose last burglary had been 15 years ago, had moved into shared accommodation where there had been a television which was stolen.
“He was told he could watch TV on a laptop, and while he was out selling perfume door-to-door he saw the student’s laptop, and saw it as a way to watch TV.”
Jailing Reid, Judge Lockhart told him: “He had arrived at university. He was away from home and he was feeling vulnerable.
“That was exacerbated by you going into his room thinking you would take his laptop.”
