Mansfield Magistrates' Court: Sutton burglar captured twice by the people he was trying to steal from

Daniel Walker broke into a shed on Silk Street, Sutton, on June 10, last year, at about 1am, but left items like a fishing rod and a camping chair abandoned in the garden when police arrived.

Ben Payne, prosecuting, said that after the officers left, Walker returned, but the male occupant of the house heard noises at 2.20am, and saw his shadow as he made his way into the back garden.

He immediately ran outside and shouted, “what are you doing here?”, before realising Walker was holding a knife with a three-inch blade in his right hand.

He grabbed Walker’s wrists and a tussle ensued, while his wife shouted for their neighbour to call the police. Walker was arrested and the next morning they discovered a £499 tent was missing from the shed.

Burglar was caught on doorbell camera

On January 19, at 4.30am, a woman received a doorbell camera notification on her phone from her mother's address on Dalestorth Road, showing Walker going down the drive and checking under the doormat.

She woke her partner and they drove over to find Walker in the garage putting a CD player into his bag. A brown bag was found nearby containing a car radio, along with a bag of chocolate Brazil nuts.

Walker said he was “tired, hungry and thirsty” and gave an address in Mansfield where he could be found, but her husband told him, “you’re not going anywhere”, and prevented him from leaving.

Walker, aged 46, of The Twitchell, Sutton, admitted burglary, attempted burglary and possession of a knife. The court heard he has 48 previous convictions for 76 offences – 41 of which relate to dishonesty – dating back to 1994.

Neil Taylor, mitigating, said Walker, who cares for both his parents, had kept out of trouble since 2019. “His risk is manageable in the community,” he said, and asked the magistrates to consider rehabilitation in the community.

Magistrates decided the offences attracted sentences ‘way beyond’ their powers and committed the case to Nottingham Crown Court. Walker, who appeared via video-link from HMP Nottingham, was remanded until March 15.