A burglar has been jailed after he dumped a pair of gloves covered in his DNA at a crime scene.
Lee Green, 52, of Scarlett Road, Norwich, broke into a house in Hall Road in October 2023 by forcing the back door open with a shovel.
According to the victim, he raided the whole home and left knives taken from the kitchen in different rooms.
A television, sentimental jewellery and binoculars were among the items stolen.
A search of the area uncovered three white gloves which were DNA-tested and led police to Green.
He was arrested at his home address on October 29, 2023, and several stolen goods - including a Chanel bracelet and the items from Hall Road - were recovered.
Further tests on the knives at Hall Road and CCTV evidence helped to place him at the scene and he was arrested again on January 11, 2024.
Once remanded he was visited in prison by Operation Converter, the unit that investigates suspects who are believed to be responsible for similar crimes.
When evidence was put to him in an interview he admitted to six more offences that were taken into account by the court at sentencing.
These were one burglary dwelling, three burglaries other than dwelling and two thefts of copper cabling which all took place between July 25, 2019, and April 16, 2023.
He was linked forensically to the burglary dwelling by a dropped torch.
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In a personal statement read to the court, one victim described how she could no longer sleep at night and felt unsafe in her home.
"Since the burglary, I have been left feeling very vulnerable," she said.
"I have always believed I am a strong, independent woman. However, this has all changed due to the burglary.
"This makes me feel like I have lost a part of who I was due to the trauma and changes I have had to make in order to feel safe."
She added she was heartbroken not to be able to pass her parents' rings on to her grandchildren as they had not been recovered.
Duncan Etchells, police staff supervisor for Operation Converter, said: “Green was an opportunist burglar and thief.
“He had no regard for the impact his offending had on decent, hard-working victims of his crimes.
"It can be seen by the impact statements that he has left a trail of destruction behind him and hopefully now he is behind bars he has the time to consider and empathise with his victims and hopefully he will receive the necessary support for his drug addiction which fuelled these offences.
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“Norfolk Police are committed to bringing such offenders to justice for the sake of the victims.”
Green attended Norwich Crown Court on Monday having admitted to a charge of burglary and handling stolen goods.
As a third-striker – someone who has been convicted of burglary on at least three occasions - Green was handed a mandatory sentence of 876 days, just under two years and five months.
DC Howard Buckles added: "I hope this sentence provides some reassurance to victims about how seriously we take this type of offending.
"To any would-be burglars - we will pursue you and follow up all lines of enquiry to put you before the courts."
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