'Prolific offender' burgled two homes in the same street and used stolen bank cards

A man who burgled two homes in the same street and then used the bank cards he had stolen has been jailed. Darren Smith, 39, sneaked into a flat in Stamford Street, Leicester city centre, on the night of Friday, January 19, taking a bank card and then using it fraudulently.

Then on the night of Wednesday, January 31, he went back to another premises in the same street and took several items including another bank card. Again, he used the bank card fraudulently.

Smith, of no fixed address, was later identified by Leicestershire Police and arrested. At Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday, June 25, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting two counts of burglary and three counts of fraud by false representation.

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Pc Eliot Bates, who was the investigating officer, said: “Smith is a prolific offender who must have thought nothing of burgling and stealing bank cards to use fraudulently. A thorough investigation allowed us to identify him and as a result of this he has been forced to admit his crimes and face the consequences.”