[bbfan1991]

A burglar has been jailed after he decided to ring for a taxi from his victims' landline phone.

James Edward Bedford had stolen a laptop and a camera from the house in Redcar on November 27 while the family were sleeping upstairs, reports The Mirror.

Bedford then phoned for a taxi, gave his full name and address, and also used the automatic callback service.

He and his accomplice then tried to pay for the taxi using the stolen laptop, before running away after the driver became suspicious.

The victims later woke up to discover their possessions missing. They then recalled the phone ringing at 3am, and called the taxi firm back.

Police later contacted the taxi driver, who remembered Bedford using the laptop.

Bedford was arrested a week later, and claimed that he had knocked on the house before entering in order to use their phone to call a taxi.

He then alleged that the unidentified man who was with him was the person who stole the laptop.

However, CCTV footage proved that the pair had wandered up and down the street before deciding to break into the property.

"This was clearly not a planned or a particularly effective burglary, given the way in which the miscreants were foolish enough to ring for a taxi from the landline and even ask for a ring-back, and then give their home address to the taxi driver, obviously carrying stolen property," said the defence team.

Bedford was handed a one-year prison sentence, suspended for a year with supervision and 200 hours' unpaid work.

"If I took the view that this was a sophisticated, well thought out burglary, then you would have been going into custody this afternoon," said Tahir Khan QC.

Bedford headed home in a taxi after he left the court, reports local newspaper The Gazette.

[Kizzy]

What a plonker!

[Tom4784]

Now there's a ciminal mastermind in the making if I've ever seen one.

[arista]

Originally Posted by kizzy

What a plonker!

Thats For Sure