A burglar who crawled on all fours to evade CCTV during a thieving spree has been jailed for four years. Shamsul Islam, 40, stole thousands of dollars in cash and goods from seven establishments by creeping on his hands and knees.
Despite his efforts to conceal his identity, he was caught after leaving behind footprints and fingerprints, as reported by Daily Mail.
After he was caught on CCTV cameras during a burglary spree in Bury, Greater Manchester, Islam’s downfall came when a restaurant owner, alerted to the break-in by CCTV linked to his phone, saw him in action.
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In his rush to flee, Islam injured himself on a piece of glass, leaving behind blood that police used to identify him.
Islam, described by police as a “career criminal,” began his crime spree in August. Homeless, he was connected to various crimes through two disposable e-cigarettes found in a stolen coat.
His spree started on August 19 on Heathfield Road in Bury, where he stole a coat from a car. On August 28, around 3 a.m., he broke into a pub in Whitefield by smashing a ground-floor window but left empty-handed.
One hour after breaking into a Whitefield pub on August 28, Islam targeted another pub on Bury New Road, stealing £200 ($258) from the till.
On September 1, he smashed the window of a hair and beauty salon on Radcliffe New Road while the owner was inside. When confronted by the tenant above, he apologized and fled.
Just two days later, on September 3, Islam returned to the bar he had previously burgled in Whitefield, crawling on his stomach to avoid CCTV but still managed to steal £200 from the till.
The next day, he broke into a takeaway on Bury New Road at 11 p.m., smashing the window and stealing £200 and a work mobile phone worth £1,200 while leaving footprints and fingerprints behind.
His crime spree ended when he broke into a restaurant on Sefton Street, Whitefield, alerting the owner through CCTV linked to his phone. The owner watched as Islam crawled over the bar to reach the till.
Disturbed by the intruder alarm, Islam quickly fled, smashing wine glasses and leaving behind a small trace of blood as he exited through the smashed window.
This evidence led to his arrest, putting an end to his burglaries across Bury.
He was found guilty of burglary at Minshull Street Crown Court last week and sentenced to four years in prison.
PC William Loughran, from Greater Manchester Police, said after his sentencing: “Islam had absolutely no regard as he broke into small businesses in the Whitefield area of Bury and stole from owners who were rightly shocked when they saw Islam ransacking their livelihoods.
“Islam is a career criminal who had absolutely no right to be so brazenly entering the premises and taking what isn’t his.’
“I would like to thank the victims, and everyone in the force that played a part in getting Islam arrested, and those involved in this investigation that has brought Islam to justice, including our crime scene investigators who were able to prove that he was responsible for this spate of offences.”
