A bungling burglar has been jailed after he was caught by fingerprints he left behind at the scene when he made himself dinner.
Paul Johnson, 50, was captured on CCTV breaking into student accommodation in Nottingham during the early hours of April 9.
After opening parcels he found in the reception area he searched through cupboards and filing cabinets inside an office where he found a tin of cod roe.
The peckish crook then took some red cabbage and mixed it together in a bowl before tucking into the fish meal.
After he had finished Johnson, of Forster Street, Nottingham, left the bowl on a chair in the reception before leaving the building empty-handed.
Forensics teams examining the scene took a fingerprint from the bowl that was a match for Johnson.
He has jailed for six months after admitting burglary at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
Detective Sergeant Lee Cattell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “It was a great collective effort, involving numerous departments, which helped us to identify Johnson, secure the evidence and bring him to justice.
“I hope the fact that he is now behind bars offers some reassurance to victims and our communities that Nottinghamshire Police is committed to tackling and reducing burglaries and taking criminals like Johnson off our streets.”
