A CARELESS burglar who was identified after he left his glasses in the house he broke into in Shirley has been jailed.
Christopher Stephen Henry, 51, of no fixed abode was jailed for two and a half years at the Central Criminal Court last week after pleading guilty to burglary.
The court heard that on Sunday March 23, the victim and her family had gone out for a walk and locked all windows and doors of their home in Wickham Road.
When they returned, they did not notice any signs of forced entry.
However, whilst the family was in the living room, one of the family members checked upstairs after hearing creaking floorboards in one of the bedrooms.
He found Henry lying on the floor in one of the bedrooms, trying to hide.
The victim immediately confronted him and tried to prevent him from leaving, but Henry managed to run away.
After checking the bedroom, the victims realised that four gold rings worth approximately £5,000 plus £80 cash had been stolen.
Police attending the scene found a pair of glasses in the bedroom where Henry had been hiding.
The glasses did not belong to any of the victims and Henry's DNA was found on them after they were sent for forensic examination.
Police made extensive inquiries to track him down and he was eventually arrested on July 25, after officers tried to stop him in Ecclesbourne Road, Thornton Heath.
He failed to stop and tried to drive away, crashing into another car.
He was subsequently arrested.
Henry was charged on July 26 with burglary and failing to provide a sample for a drug test.
Detective constable Officer Billy Clough from Croydon CID, who was in charge of the case, said: "Henry was caught by his victims and left his glasses at the scene which helped us to establish his identity.
"He is a recidivist burglar and I am satisfied with the results of our investigation".
