'Mean' burglar stole £700 from Leeds cafe's tip jar and raided Hotel Chocolat

A homeless heroin addict  who struck at  Hotel Chocolat in Leeds and stole around £700 from a tip jar at a city centre cafe has been jailed for more than three years.
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Fifth strike burglar Joseph Parkin and his partner were sleeping rough in Leeds city centre when he carried out the burglaries, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Parkin, 28, smashed a glass door panel at the Hotel Chocolat shop on Albion Place.

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Timothy Jacobs, prosecuting, said chocolate and other items worth more than £2,600 were stolen and £1,000 of damage was caused to the shop during the burglary at 4am on July 6 2019,

Joseph ParkinJoseph Parkin
Joseph Parkin

Mr Jacobs said CCTV captured two other people entering the shop in the early hours that day.

Parkin was traced via DNA evidence from blood found at the scene.

Just after 10pm on August 2 2019, Parkin was spotted on CCTV smashing a window at Boots on Vicar Lane, causing £500 damage.

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He ran off when challenged by a member of the public and police later found traces of his blood at the scene.

In the early hours the following day, Parkin kicked a glass door panel in at Distinto cafe on Albion Place.

Parkin stole around £700 from a tip jar and £250 from the till.

He also stole 15 bottles of spirits worth £500 and caused an estimated £3,500 damage.

His blood was found at the scene.

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Just before 10am on September 15 2019, Parkin burgled a flat at Lincoln Towers, Lincoln Green, Leeds, while the occupant was out.

Mr Jacobs said while Parkin was in the third floor flat, the occupant returned and shut the door in a bid to trap him inside.

Police were called, but by the time officers arrived Parkin had climbed down the side of the flats from the balcony and escaped.

His fingerprints were found on perfume bottles in the flat and he was arrested.

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Parkin, of no fixed abode, admitted two commercial burglaries - at Hotel Chocolat and Distinto cafe.

He also admitted the attempted burglary at Boots and burglary at the flat.

The court heard he has previous convictions for burglary and is a fifth strike house burglar.

James Littlehales, mitigating, said Parkin was addicted to heroin and that he and his partner were sleeping rough and both were using drugs at the time of the offences.

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Mr Littlehales said Parkin's partner is mother to a ten-week-old baby and is drug free.

Mr Littlehales said Parkin has also sorted out his drug problem, adding: "He is determined now that he will have responsibilities to try and come out and remain in a position where he is free of drugs and free of the offending he has committed in the past."

Jailing Parkin for three-years-and-eight months, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl QC, told him: "At Distinto cafe you kicked in a glass panel and took £700, which was tips for the waiters and staff who work there, which is an extremely mean offence."