Serial burglar left fecal ‘calling card’ at scene of crimes
Judge voices disgust at 31-year-old’s ‘gratuitous soiling’
A serial burglar defecated on the floor of his crime scenes as a “calling card”, a court heard.
Damien Robinson, 31, has been jailed for two years on Monday after stealing from a medical centre and a hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
He admitted eight burglaries, one charge of fraud and failing to provide a sample for drug testing, at Leeds Crown Court.
Prosecutor Tom Jackson said Robinson was heavily convicted with more than 37 burglaries on his record already.
Robinson was seen on CCTV entering a medical centre on 17 April through an emergency exit and stealing a petty cash tin containing £313.
On 17 June he broke into Holden Smith Law at Cross Gates and took two laptops worth £650, but also ate food he found at the scene.
However, he then left a pile of his own faeces on the floor, which Mr Jackson said “became somewhat of a calling card”.
On 26 June he entered St James’ Hospital in Leeds and stole a laptop, headphones, credit card and cash which belonged to a surgeon working a night shift.
Robinson then used the credit card to buy cigarettes, but the shop worker became suspicious and Robinson ran from the store.
This was followed by a break-in at a charity shop on 27 June where he stole a still containing £50, and the next day he stole a £6,000 bicycle.
In the early hours of 2 July he broke into building site using a screwdriver. He took a phone, two tablets and a laptop, before again defecating on the floor.
Police finally caught up with him after he was spotted smashing a window of a fast food shop and then crawling inside.
Robinson, of no fixed address, then refused to take the drugs test at the police station.
While also having a lengthy criminal record, Mr Jackson said the break-ins were aggravated by the “gratuitous soiling” of some of the properties.
Mitigating, Philip Morris told the court: “It’s demonstrative of a very chaotic lifestyle.
“There’s some drug misuse but not necessarily at an addictive level. He leads a transient lifestyle.
“He sees the impending sentence as a means of drawing a line under this.”
The Recorder of Leeds, Guy Kearl QC, said: “You are heavily convicted for non-dwelling burglaries, and it’s been going on for some time.
“You left faeces, which is a disgusting thing to do.”
SWNS