The smallest drop of blood left behind on a tin landed a thief in hot water after a coffee shop in Sunderland was burgled.
Kevin Thoburn, 39, smashed his way into the Hideout Coffee House in Seaburn in the early hours of July 6 and stole cash from the till.
He left a trail of destruction as he carried out a search for valuables - tipping various tins and boxes off shelves and leaving them strewn all over the floor.
But Thoburn’s actions were soon to catch up with him after police spotted a tiny drop of blood on a cream-coloured tin.
The item was handed over to the force’s Scientific Support Unit who confirmed that it was forensically linked to the suspect.
He was subsequently arrested, and with the weight of evidence against him overwhelming, Thoburn, of Hylton Grange, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to burglary when appearing before magistrates in South Tyneside on Wednesday.
He was jailed for 18 weeks and ordered to pay £128 compensation.
Detective Constable Neil Swainston, of Northumbria Police, said: "Kevin Thoburn should be ashamed of his actions - he showed a total disregard for the business owners and looked to steal items from within for purely selfish gains.
"However, unfortunately for him, he left a little more than he had hoped behind at the scene of his crime and a small spot of his blood was enough for our brilliant forensic experts to irrefutably link him to the burglary.
"It is another reminder that the smallest drop of blood, saliva or other bodily fluid can now be used to bring burglars to justice.
"I sincerely hope he uses this time behind bars to think carefully about the serious consequences that his actions have on the community."
If you are a victim of crime, or see anybody acting suspiciously in your area, contact police on 101 or via their website. In an emergency, ring 999.
