Serial burglar stole expensive items from seven Scarborough homes

TJ Glendinning, 18, stole thousands of pounds’ worth of expensive items from the properties in Scarborough including jewellery, a designer watch, a mobile phone, a computer and trainers, York Crown Court heard.

Glendinning, of Hatterboard Drive, Scarborough, stole a bracelet and purple gemstone from one property on Scalby Road which was unoccupied following the death of the owner, whose daughter had taken over ownership of the house.

“The items stolen belonged to her mother before she died,” said prosecutor Graham O’Sullivan.

The jewellery was later recovered from Glendinning’s home.

On August 3, a few days after the burglary on Scalby Road, he broke into a house in Lady Edith's Crescent belonging to a woman who rented out rooms to students.

During the burglary, just before 1pm, Glendinning ransacked the property while rifling through student rooms looking for rich pickings.

Mr O’Sullivan said Glendinning had “trashed” all the lodgers’ bedrooms and the owner’s son’s room after “kicking in” their doors. The owner herself also lost items in the raid.

Glendinning stole cash and an Armani watch from her son’s room and an Xbox and mobile phone from two of the lodgers. He also stole an earring worth £200, a pendant, gold and silver chains, a gold ring worth over £100 and custom jewellery.

Police found the stolen items at Glendinning’s home later the same day and he was bang to rights for the burglary on Scalby Road after officers found fingerprint evidence on a jewellery box left at the scene.

Police also found a small amount of cannabis at his home which he admitted was his.

He appeared for sentence on Friday after admitting two counts of burglary and one count of cannabis possession. Five other burglaries were taken into consideration for sentencing purposes.

The woman whose late mother owned the property on Scalby Road said the family were “very upset and distressed” by Glendinning’s heartless behaviour.

Mr O’Sullivan said the five other burglaries, which had been taken into consideration by the court, took place between June 1 and July 26, at properties in Lady Edith's Avenue, Green Lane, Raincliffe Avenue, Scalby Road and Throxenby Lane – all either on the same street or in the same vicinity as the two burglaries on the indictment.

He said Glendinning had 12 previous convictions for 23 offences including violence, burglary, public disorder, possessing Class B drugs, handling stolen goods and shoplifting.

Defence barrister Kirsten Mercer said Glendinning had had a troubled upbringing and went off the rails following a traumatic incident.

She said he was “truly sorry” for the heartache and distress he had caused his victims by his “disgusting” behaviour and wanted to start a new life as a construction worker when he was released from the inevitable jail sentence.

Jailing Glendinning for 10 months, judge Andrew Stubbs QC blasted Glendinning for ransacking one of the houses from “top to bottom” during his one-man crime spree.

Following sentence, Detective Constable Michelle Neighbour, of Scarborough Police, said: “I hope the speed with which Glendinning was brought to justice helps to reassure the residents of Scarborough and sends a warning to others of the consequences of such crimes.”