Teen burglar from Burnley spared jail and given chance (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Teen burglar from Burnley spared jail and given chance

12:00pm Monday 20th August 2012 in Burnley By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

A TEENAGE house burglar with 13 previous con- victions struck five times and raided two garages in the space of a week, a court heard.

But a judge gave 18-year-old Camden Foulds ‘an opportunity to prove yourself’ and handed him a chance to be rehabilitated.

Foulds owned up to some of his crimes after he had been arrested and went on a ‘drive out’ with police, pointing out the properties he had targeted.

He had been on remand in Forest Bank, an adult jail, when he appeared at Burnley Crown Court, but was spared further time behind bars.

Foulds, of Melrose Avenue, Burnley, admitted five burglaries, and asked for one burglary, and an attempted burglary, to be considered. He was given 12 months detention, suspended for 18 months, with 100 hours unpaid work and 18 months supervision.

The court was told on July 6, a victim in Caernarvon Avenue, Burnley, left her key under a plant pot, and Foulds took it and went inside her home.

A neighbour then saw him break into two sheds on the road. He climbed over a fence and was arrested. The defendant had stolen property worth £1, 260.

Michael Wallbank, pros-ecuting, said Foulds was arrested a week later on suspicion of burglary in Norfolk Avenue and Tedder Avenue, in Burnley, and went on a ‘drive out’ with police.

At Norfolk Avenue, he had smashed a window and stole a laptop and jewellery worth £750. At Tedder Avenue, he had broken a window in the back door and taken a laptop, mobile phone, and watch, worth £1,000.

When questioned, he admitted the two charges and the offences to be taken into consideration.

Kristian Cavanagh, defending, said Foulds had been desperate for money.

He accepted the offences were serious and the custody threshold had been passed.

Foulds had spent three weeks in an adult prison.

The solicitor continued: “He has found that period of time particularly frightening and it’s an experience he doesn’t wish to repeat.

“However, he has spent his time productively, learning maths and Eng-lish and he has also been working.”

Sentencing, Recorder Michael Blakey said the defendant ‘richly deserved’ to go into custody immediately, but what bore heavily on his mind was Foulds’ age.

But he added : “If you let me down, let the court down, let those who want to look after you on the outside down, then you know what’s going to happen.”