Burglar caught after his phone accidentally records him bragging about crimes

A burglar who was caught after accidentally recording himself talking about his crimes has been jailed for four years.

Wayne Axtell, 39, was arrested while riding a Segway scooter which was stolen during a burglary last year.

Police seized his phone and discovered many recorded phone calls in which he talked about various thefts he had “got away” with.

Axtell had inadvertently recorded calls bragging about a series of burglaries, even some he was not suspected of committing.

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Prosecutor Alex Radley told Oxford Crown Court the calls helped the police link him to several thefts in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire in 2021.

He had a lock-knife on him and recordings of voice calls in which he discussed thefts committed between March and August.

The phone conversations also linked the defendant to the theft of high value ride-on lawnmowers and gardening tools at various sites.

Defending, Peter du Feu said his client did not know his phone’s default setting was to record its calls.

He said: “It is an extraordinary piece of evidence and a real own goal for him.''

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Axtell pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy to steal, non-dwelling burglary, handling stolen goods and possession of a blade.

His basis of plea, which was not wholly accepted by the prosecution, was that he acted as a driver for the theft gang.

He also asked for 13 other thefts to be taken into consideration.

Judge Nigel Daly jailed Axtell for four years on Thursday.