Burglar stole £100,000 worth of valuables from Dynamo's home while magician was out of UK, court hears

Dynamo had £100,000 worth of jewellery raided from his home by a career criminal while he was on holiday in South Africa, a court heard.

Alistair McWilliams, 32, broke into celebrity magician Steven Frayne's £1.4m house in Hampstead, north London, after he climbed up a ladder he propped up against an adjoining fence before vaulting over.

Once inside the grounds, McWilliams smashed open a rear door and swiped valuables including Rolex and Cartier watches from the property.

Other jewellery was taken, along with an iPad, headphones, laptop, bags, belts and a set of the illusionist's playing cards were among the haul, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

The burglary took place between May 12 and 26 this year while Mr Frayne, 36, was away in South Africa. He was alerted to the break-in by security firm ADT after an alarm was triggered.

McWilliams was arrested four months after the raid when police recovered a DNA sample matching his on the branch of a tree overlooking the fence used to gain entry, the Old Bailey heard.

He denied breaking in to commit the burglary, and spun a bizarre tale of disturbing three homosexual men having sex in bushes close to the unattended house.

When the trio chased him for remonstrating with them he sought refuge through the property's unlocked side gate, McWilliams claimed.

He insisted he could only have left the sample when he peered over the fence to check the coast was clear to make his getaway.

But a jury dismissed his account, finding him guilty of burglary following a trial lasting less than three hours.

Judge Brendan Finucane, QC, warned McWilliams he faces years behind bars when he is sentenced on Wednesday.

McWilliams also awaits sentence for a horrific hit and run committed just three months after the raid.

He admitted causing death by dangerous driving after ploughing into 77-year-old great grandfather Richard Dougherty on August 23 this year.

Mr Dougherty suffered a devastating head injury when the stolen Nissan Primera being driven by McWilliams mounted the pavement as he was walking along Leighton Road, in Kentish Town.

He died just over a week later.

McWilliams' criminal record includes dozens of thefts and at least three other burglaries, the last of which was committed back in 2006.