A BEDWORTH man who denied being involved in a burglary has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Iain Parkhouse was caught red-handed by officers with a screwdriver and items belonging to another man.
Police were called to Prince’s Street in Nuneaton around 2.30am on May 9 after reports the door of a house was being kicked in and a man was inside.
Upon arrival, they found Parkhouse outside the house with some of the victim’s personal belongings including items of his clothing.
He initially tried to fool police by saying he knew the victim and had stopped to see what was going on, but upon searching him officers found a screwdriver and a knife, both of which were seized.
The 43-year-old was arrested but he continued to maintain his innocence throughout his interview.
Ahead of a trial starting, Parkhouse, of Weston Lane, who was initially charged with aggravated burglary, changed his plea and was instead convicted of burglary.
He was jailed for 42 months at Warwick Crown Court on October 31.
Det Constable Samir Hassan said: “Our response officers were quickly on scene and caught Parkhouse red-handed outside the house.
“From the get-go, he tried to fool us into thinking he was friends with the victim, but his lies didn’t wash.
“Burglaries have an incredibly distressing impact on victims and the offence is completely unacceptable.
“I hope this sentence goes some way to not only reassuring the public that we take burglaries seriously but also that we will always work to bring those responsible before the courts.
“I’m delighted justice has been done in this case and Parkhouse will be able to reflect on his stupidity and how things could have been so different while behind bars.”
