Burglar from Bournemouth jailed after DNA found on left-behind sock

A burglar from Bournemouth has been jailed for two years and eight months, after he left a sock at a property he was targeting.

John Jones, 54, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday, January 25, after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary, which took place in October 2022.

He had left a sock at a property in Knowle Gardens which was traced to him, leading to his arrest in November.

He stole a DKNY watch and caused £350 worth of damage to a property in Iddesleigh Road during the day on October 8, leaving DNA traces that were later found to be a match to Jones.

At a second burglary, Jones took a jewellery box and its contents, worth around £5000, from Knowle Gardens on October 15.

It was during this burglary that Jones left a sock behind, with the police discovering this sock during their search. It was forensically examined and provided a DNA match to Jones.

Detective Constable Ian Caddy, of Dorset Police, said: “The impact that a burglary has on a victim is extremely distressing and can be long-lasting.

“We remain committed to relentlessly pursuing those who commit burglaries such as these and will do everything we can to identify those responsible.

“We hope that our investigation to bring Jones to justice will serve as a warning to others looking to commit an offence of this nature.”