A Salford career criminal has been branded a ‘menace to society’ by a judge after he become so addicted to burglary he filched pots of yoghurt and bottles of milk.
In a three-week crimewave, Ash Love, 39, preyed on six houses in the Higher Broughton area that were within a 100 metre radius of each other.
During his crime spree, Love used a special cutting tool to create holes in backs doors before reaching through to grab keys which were left in the lock.
But as well as stealing expensive electrical equipment and jewellery, Love was so desperate to steal he also grabbed cheap and virtually worthless items in a bid to sell them onto a Cash Generator store.
Police who caught up with Love discovered he had also snatched a child’s Winnie the Pooh moneybox and an even plastic darts case along with cufflinks, cameras, debit and credit cards, watches, mobile phones, tablet computers and stereo speakers.
Today Love, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, was jailed for three years after admitting six burglaries.
The six burglaries all took place between 28 August 2014 and 15 September 2014, after Love used the same method to break into people’s homes including two on the same night.
Police said he used a weapon to carve a hole in the door big enough to get his hand through, and would then reach up to the keys which were still in the lock and open the door.
He was eventually captured on 18 September 2014 when two plain-clothed police who were patrolling the area due to the increase in burglaries in the locality spotted him trying to use a stolen debit card in a shop and recognised him from CCTV footage.
They chased and caught him and found the silver multi-tool in his back pocket. A police sniffer dog later led officers to some discarded gloves.
When Love’s home was searched, officers found a horde of the stolen property. It was later established Love had sold numerous items he had stolen to a local Cash Generators store.
At Manchester Crown Court, defence counsel Miss Katy Jones, said her client carried out the crime spree was ‘to fund his use of illegal substances.’
She added: “Mr Love is not a typical defendant, he had a dreadful upbringing and suffers from mental health problems, such as Asperger’s Syndrome. The Asperger’s of which he suffers has caused him to suffer with difficulties interacting with others. He has a long and tragic history which links to his drug problem.”
Passing sentence the judge Mr Recorder Christopher Alldis told Love: “I will not go through your dreadful history in open court. Your drug dependency makes you a menace to society. With credit for your guilty plea the best I can do is give you a three year custodial sentence.”
After the case Det Sgt Roger Smethurst of Greater Manchester Police said: “Love is a career criminal: a persistent and prolific burglar who all but terrorised this neighbourhood over a three-week period.
“The fact that we caught him red-handed with a multi-tool in his pocket and gloves that he had discarded shows that he was intent on carrying on his crime spree and would undoubtedly still be out there today burgling people’s homes had we not caught him.
“You only have to look at the items he stole, ranging from yoghurts to expensive jewellery and watches, to see he is a man who was desperate to get his hands on whatever he could and I have no doubt the streets of these communities are much safer now that he is a behind bars.”
Story via Cavendish Press.
Image courtesy of Adam Wilson, with thanks.
