Salvation Army and football club burglar jailed
Cleveland PoliceA serial burglar who targeted the Salvation Army, a football club and a holidaying family's empty home has been jailed for two and a half years.
During his crime spree, Craig Foster, 32, stole £15,000 worth of goods from a house in Guisborough and also targeted a burger restaurant in Redcar, Teesside Crown Court heard.
His DNA was found at each crime scene, the court heard.
Foster, who had a history of dishonesty, admitted five counts of burglary.
He smashed a window to gain entry into a family home when its owners were away on holiday sometime between 30 August and 21 September last year, prosecutors said.
Having left his blood on the broken glass, he stole goods including watches and jewellery, the court heard.
Victim left 'paranoid'
On 10 September, Foster broke into a burger restaurant in Redcar and stole a petty cash tin containing about £30 and left part-eaten food behind, which again enabled police to make a DNA match to him.
In a a statement read to the court, the owner of the burger restaurant said he was now "paranoid" of being targeted again.
He said he would go to the restaurant every night to keep an eye on it and no longer took holidays or days off, while his partner was too scared to go there alone in case a burglar was inside.
Twelve days after that raid, Foster twice broke into a Salvation Army centre, stealing a bag of biscuits and a £200 television, the court was told.
He was seen on CCTV dropping a glove which contained his blood, again leading to a DNA match.
A Salvation Army spokesman said repairing the damage and increasing security had cost hundreds of pounds.
On 19 November, Foster and two other men used a crowbar to get into Guisborough Football Club and steal two televisions worth £350 each and a tip jar containing £12, the court heard.
They also put bottles of alcohol worth a total of £152 into a bag, but dropped it and the contents smashed.
A man from the football club said its staff and volunteers ranged in age from 18 to 80 and they had all been left feeling "vulnerable and unsafe".
He said the burglary had caused reputational damage with the club incurring high costs to repair the damage and improve security.
Judge Richard Clews said Foster, of Barnaby Place in Guisborough, had a "bad record of offending" and warned him a third burglary conviction would see him jailed for at least three years.