A bungling burglar has been jailed for over three years after giving police a head start by leaving his DNA in blood at the scene of his crime. Macauley Coutts, 29, had smashed the rear doors of the property in Mobberley, in Cheshire, on March 4 this year while the homeowner was out.
Chester Crown Court heard that on their return, the shocked victim found every room had been searched by the mystery raider and spare keys to two Audi vehicles had been stolen, along with two watches. But when Cheshire Police officers arrived, they found a pool of blood from where the crook had injured themselves breaking in, and a swift DNA test linked it to known suspect Coutts.
Now, Coutts, of no fixed abode, has been arrested, charged with burglary and admitted his crime – being handed a 40-month prison sentence on Monday, June 2.
Detective Sergeant Laura Fox said: “Burglary is a terrifying and intrusive crime, knowing that someone has forced their way into your home, somewhere you should be able to feel safe.
“I hope the sentence handed to Coutts reassures the local community that we are committed to tackling burglary offences and bringing those responsible before the courts.”
The court was told that on Tuesday, March 4, at around 6.05pm, a resident in Blakeley Lane, Mobberley, reported their address had been burgled.
Officers found the back doors had been smashed to gain entry to the property between 9.40am and 6pm that day, while no one was home.
Officers located blood at the scene, and forensic samples were taken. This provided a match to Coutts, and a warrant was subsequently executed on Tuesday, March 11, at an address in Wythenshawe. However, Coutts was not present.
Coutts continued to evade police until, after extensive enquiries, he was arrested on Friday, April 11, by Greater Manchester Police in Salford. He was then transported to Cheshire, where he was later interviewed, charged, and remanded into custody.
Detective Sergeant Laura Fox added: “This should send a strong message to anyone who is intent on committing crime. No matter how hard you try to cover up your tracks, we use every tool at our disposal to identify you.”
