A 'proflic' burglar has been jailed after pretending he knew the owner of a home he was trying to break in to.
Jeffery Stoker, 33, was spotted by an off-duty police officer while he was trying the door handle of a house on Princess Louise Road, in Blyth, Northumberland.
The PC, who was driving past the house, pulled up and quickly recognised Stoker, who police have described as a "frequent offender".
Stoker told the officer he knew the owner, before walking off.
But when the owner of the house returned, he confirmed he had never seen Stoker before.
Stoker, of Seventh Avenue, Blyth, has previously been convicted of six residential burglaries and was previously jailed in 2018.
He was arrested on June 28 on suspicion of attempted burglary and last week he appeared before a judge at Newcastle Crown Court where he was sentenced to 10 months behind bars.
Blyth Neighbourhood Inspector Jonathan Caisley said: “Stoker is a prolific burglar who certainly got more than he bargained for that day.
“I want to praise the PC, who, despite being off duty, followed her gut when she saw something that didn’t look or feel right.
“Thanks to her Stoker was stopped in his tracks and the homeowner was saved the devastation of having their home ransacked by a stranger.
“As a known offender, our PC was able to quickly identify Stoker and from there my team were able to launch an investigation and confirm he had been at the property, leading to a quick arrest and taking a prolific burglar off the streets.”
A Northumbria Police spokesperson added that anyone who sees anything suspicious in their community should to report it to police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the police website or by calling 101. In an emergency or if a crime is happening, always ring 999.
