Widnes man who committed two business burglaries and spat in officer’s face jailed

A man from Widnes who committed burglaries at two businesses in the town has been jailed.

Christopher Dennett, of Bower Street, broke into a members’ only social club on Victoria Road in Widnes in the early hours of Tuesday 4 June 2019 and stole a small quantity of cash from the till and from a tips jar behind the bar.

The 40-year-old also attempted to break into gaming machines and gain entry to a flat above the club.

He was disturbed and fled on foot.

A few months later Dennett broke into a sports store in Albert Square Shopping Centre, Widnes, and stole items worth a total of more than £3,500.

Officers searching the area following the burglary, which was committed in the early hours of Thursday 22 August 2019, spotted a number of the items outside a flat in Dean Street.

Dennett was inside the flat.

He was wearing the clothes he had on during the burglary, which was captured on CCTV footage.

An officer identified Dennett from the footage.

He was arrested, and whilst detained he spat in a police constable’s face.

The items Dennett stole from the sports store were all recovered, and his DNA was found on a screwdriver and an empty drink bottle that he left behind at the members’ only social club that he burgled.

He was subsequently charged with two counts of burglary and assaulting an emergency service worker.

Dennett pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday 16 March.

He was jailed for two years and 10 months and ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Gary McClatchey, of Widnes Local Policing Unit, said: “When we interviewed Christopher Dennett in custody he admitted spitting in the female officer’s face and accepted that his behaviour had been disgusting.

“However, he initially denied being responsible for the burglaries at the social club and the sports store.

“His stance changed when he became aware of the full extent of the evidence that we managed to gather against him.

“Dennett ended up pleading guilty to the offences.

“He is now behind bars facing the consequences of his actions and I hope that this case deters others from committing similar offences.

“I also hope that it reassures the community that we take all burglaries, whether they are residential or business burglaries, extremely seriously and do all that we can to catch the offenders and secure convictions against them.”