Prolific Widnes burglar jailed

A prolific burglar from Widnes has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to a series of burglaries across the town.

David Spencer Power appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday 22 November where he was sentenced to five years in prison.

The 42-year-old of Cunningham Road, Widnes, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, one count of attempted burglary and four counts of breach of a criminal behaviour order.

During the hearing the court was told how Power went on a weeklong burglary spree between Tuesday 17 November and Monday 23 September.

His crime wave began on 17 September when he attempted to break into a residential address in Woodland Avenue, before fleeing empty handed.

Undeterred, later that day, powers then went on break into an industrial unit in Appleton Village, climbing through a window to steal computer equipment.

Then on 21 September, Power stole a quantity of jewellery from an address on Birchfield Road, after climbing on to the roof of an address and breaking in through a first floor window.

His final offence occurred on 23 September, when he broke into an address on Frederick Street and again stole a quantity of jewellery.

Although Powers attempted to conceal his identify, his downfall came after he was identified by officers on CCTV footage.

Following the discovery, officers attended an address on Lacey Street, Widnes on 25 September, where they located Power, along with some of the jewellery that had been stolen from the burglaries at Birchfield Road and Frederick Street.

Powers was also wearing some of the clothing that he had worn during the burglary spree. Following his arrest, further forensic work was undertaken, which linked him to all four incidents.

Police Constable Davis of Halton Proactive CID, who led the investigation, said:

“I am delighted with the sentence that Power has been handed today and I hope it acts as a deterrent to others.

“The impact that burglaries have on victims is huge and it can take a substantial amount of time for them to get over the effects of these crimes.

“Power was on a burglary crime spree that I am sure would have continued had he not been identified and promptly arrested.

“This investigation has been a great team effort and thanks go to CSI and forensic services for providing key evidence that helped secure this conviction.

“Cheshire police have a dedicated team of officers who deal with burglary offences and hopefully this sentence acts as a deterrent to anybody engaging in this type of criminality”.