Brazen burglar ignored horrified Leeds homeowner's order to leave and continued stealing

The horrified woman caught prolific burglar Simon Connolly in her Roundhay home days after Christmas last year. But after ordering him to get out, he ignored her and continued to rifle through her belongings. He then climbed out of the window he had broken to gain entry, but nonchalantly climbed back through to pick up the goods. He got away with almost £6,000 worth of valuables which were never recovered.

Connolly, who has convictions for break-ins dating back almost 30 years, targeted the home on Chandos Gardens in the early hours of December 28. Leeds Crown Court heard that the woman, who lives with her husband, had woken at around 6.15am for work and went downstairs to find the lights turned on.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said she found items strewn all across the floor and drawers emptied out. Hearing a rustle from the lounge, she caught 43-year-old Connolly searching through a book shelf while wearing gloves. He had hold of a rucksack that belonged to the woman.

Shocked, she ordered him to leave, but he appeared to ignore her and walk into another room continuing to look for items to steal. She then grabbed the rucksack from him and he made his way through the broken kitchen window. He then tried to get back in after dropping an item, before disappearing.

The total amount of items he had taken came to £5,978. It cost the couple another £428 to right the damage he had caused. Connolly, of Carr Manor Road, Gipton, was arrested after being identified through DNA profiling, having left blood at the scene.

During his police interview he denied the offence, then gave no comments thereafter. Appearing in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, he pleaded guilty to a dwelling burglary.

He has 27 previous convictions for 62 offences, including multiple burglaries from 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2005. He was also previously jailed for 63 months for conspiracy to burgle.

Mitigating, Samuel Sharp said: "It was clearly reprehensible behaviour, his best mitigation is his early guilty plea."

He said he was homeless at the time, had been "sofa surfing" at friends' homes and had started taking heroin and cocaine. He said Connolly had suffered from mental-health issues stemming from his childhood but claimed that he was "motivated to change his lifestyle."

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He added: "He must change his ways to stop his addiction. He is under no illusion that he will receive an immediate custodial sentence."

Judge Ray Singh told Connolly: "You are habitual, you have no desire to amend or change your ways. You have been sent to prison for many years. You have no hesitation in deciding to enter people's property quite brazenly, not caring if you come across anybody inside that property." He jailed him for 32 months.