Preston burglar denies exposing himself but admits a string of break ins

Dale Thomason, 26, of Tennyson Road, Ribbleton, Preston, pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary, two of attempted burglary and an attempted theft, but entered not guilty pleas to two offences of exposure and one offence of assault.

The pleas were accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service and Judge Richard Gioserano, sitting at Preston Crown Court, proceeded to sentence him to two years and four months in prison.

The bungling burglar, who has 38 convictions for 60 offences, was linked to two of the crimes after he accidentally left a can of Stella Artois beer in one victims' bedroom, and a can of Coke at another house - leading to DNA hits.

Holly Nelson, prosecuting, said the victims of the first burglary returned home to their flat in Plungington after visiting relatives for Christmas, and found the front door insecure.

She said: "They describe their property as having been ransacked with their property everywhere.

"Of note, and why this defendant came to be charged, there was a can of Stella Artois beer next to the chest of drawers in the bedroom. Neither of the complainants drink that beer and knew it must have been left by someone who entered the property."

Thomason stole their laptops which contained irretrievable photographs, and the victims suffered problems sleeping through fears he may return, the court was told.

He went on to commit a string of offences in Ribbleton in November 2020.

The court heard a woman on Field Maple Drive woke at 1.50am on November 10 to a notification on her CCTV system showing him climbing into her neighbours' garden, and she alerted them by phone.The neighbours confronted him as he tried to cycle from the scene but he denied it was him.

The woman then found tool marks and damage to her doors and windows and the neighbours found he had tried to break into their shed.

In a victim impact statement she said she was worried he would return, and about the safety of her children, and found his behaviour "disgusting".

On November 10 Thomason tried and failed to steal a water feature from a property on Ribbleton Hall Drive. He then climbed over a fence to a neighbouring home and stole a drill from the shed.

He also struck at 6.15am on Shakespeare Road, while a mum was upstairs.

Miss Nelson added: " She got up at 6.15am and realised a wooden drawer was open. Her son's schoolbag was open and a letter had been taken from it."

The woman raised the alarm and her partner and brother attended the address. The victim spotted Thomason strolling past the house with her black puffer jacket on

He ran away but was pursued by the two men who scuffled with him and got the coat back.

Later, a couple on Blackpool Road heard noises in their garage.

The man confronted Thomason, who lifted his shirt and showed them a dark handle tucked in his waistband, warning them not to approach him.

He had left a Coke can at the scene.

The thief was arrested on November 11 lying in an alleyway, and gave officers a false name.

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