Turf Moor raider jailed after burglary spree (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Turf Moor raider jailed after burglary spree
9:00pm Sunday 30th September 2012 in News
Christian Wheadon
A THIEF who raided Burnley Football Club during an 18-hour crime spree has been jailed for 27 months.
Drug addict Christian Wheadon, 24, started his offending at midnight and finished it at 6.30pm after he threatened to assault a security guard at the Turf Moor ground and was arrested, Burnley Crown Court was told.
Wheadon, who has repeatedly flouted court orders and who had been given supervision just three weeks before, had told officers: "I think I need to go to jail to sort myself out."
The defendant, from Burnley, but of no fixed address, had admitted damage, theft of a motorcycle, stealing two satnavs, burglary, attempted burglary, common assault, no driving licence and no insurance.
He had been committed for sentence by Pennine magistrates and asked for one offence to be considered.
Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said Wheadon committed the offences on Wednesday August 22. A resident on Albert Street, Burnley, awoke to see a man trying to remove a grille from his kitchen window.
Wheadon then broke a double glazed window at a nearby yard. Miss Statham said the defendant went on to pinch a £550 motorbike and helmet, left unattended for 15 minutes.
He helped himself to satellite navigation systems from two cars parked up overnight and about 6.15pm, ended up at the football club.
The guard saw the defendant trying to get in the premises through some locked doors. Wheadon managed to force the doors open and the guard could see it on the CCTV.
He went downstairs towards the foyer and saw the defendant attempting to prise a large flat screen TV from the wall.
The guard confronted Wheadon and tried to detain him, there was a scuffle and both men ended up on the floor.
The defendant, who appeared to be under the influence or drink or drugs, threatened to assault the guard with the motorbike helmet he had pinched.
He was later arrested at home, where the motorbike was recovered from the back yard.
Richard Taylor, for Wheadon, said there was a "depressing realism" from the defendant that he wouldn't co-operate with an order.
Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told the defendant he was 'just never' going to comply with non-custodial sentences.
