Bungling burglar jailed after failing to break into York jewellers

Daniel Shaun Eden’s night-time raid on Ogden Jewellers in Minister Gates left him empty handed, said Benjamin Whittingham, prosecuting.

The only thing he achieved in repeated attempts to get into the shop was to remove its letter box.

“He is just a repeat offender, a repeat nuisance offender,” Recorder Margia Mostafa said. “He is going to continue like this, growing his (criminal) record.”

York Crown Court heard Eden has 112 convictions, 71 of them for theft and burglary, and was on parole at the time for a failed house burglary.

Eden, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to burglary and carrying a knuckleduster in public.

On his 39th birthday, he was jailed for nine months at York Crown Court.

Defence solicitor Kevin Blount said Eden needed help from the probation service in dealing with the issues that kept him breaking the law and urged the judge to give him back his freedom.

But she said: “I am afraid in this case, only a custodial sentence will do.”

Mr Whittingham said Eden set off the shop’s burglar alarm at 2am on August 4 and was arrested shortly afterwards.

He had a knuckleduster in his bag and previous convictions for carrying offensive weapons some years ago.

CCTV captured him coming and going from the shop.

First he tried and failed to open the shop’s door.

Then he removed its letter box and tried unsuccessfully to get jewellery by reaching inside.

The next time he returned he had a drain grate which he used to try and smash his way in. Again, he failed. The final time he returned with a metal bollard, but didn’t use it.

Mr Blount said Eden had spent the evening begging outside a pub. There was no evidence he had intended to use the knuckleduster on anyone.

He had kicked a drug habit and replaced it with an alcohol problem that was a “significant factor” behind his crimes. Since being remanded in August, he had got healthier with no access to drugs or alcohol and was sleeping better.