Burglar jailed over break-in at Leeds hairdressers

A CAREER burglar was caught after he broke into a hairdressers and left his fingerprints on a hair brush.

Dale Kedge and an unknown accomplice caused £1,000 of damage when they threw a paving slab through the window of the salon on Pendas Way, Cross Gates.

Leeds Crown Court heard Kedge, 30, took £500 worth of equipment including hair straighteners and tongues during the incident on December 28.

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Ben Campbell, prosecuting, said the owner noticed a hair brush had been moved during the break-in.

The brush was examined by a forensics officersand was found to contain Kedge’s finger print.

Earlier the same day Kedge made off from a petrol station in Roundhay without paying for fuel. He was not insured to drive the vehicle

Kedge, of Cemetery Road, Beeston, pleaded guilty to burglary, driving without insurance and making off without payment.

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Kedge has 26 previous convictions dating back to 1999 including possessing cannabis and vehicle offences and burglary. He received a 15 month prison sentence in 2013 for burglary and vehicle theft and was out of prison on licence at the time of the break-in at the hairdressers.

Stuart Field, mitigating, said Kedge committed the offence to fund his crack cocaine habit.

Mr Field said his client had returned to using the drug following the death of his mother.

He added that Kedge had pleaded guilty to the offences at an early stage and co-operated with the police investigation.

Kedge was jailed for four months. Judge Tom Bayliss, QC, said: “You have a bad record. You caused a lot of damage and disruption.

“There has to be a prison sentence.”