Manser

An incompetent crook who decided to take Christmas presents from a home in Aylesford was caught out after leaving his smartphone behind

To send a link to this page to a friend, simply enter their email address below.

The message will include the name and email address you gave us when you signed up.

Email address

  Send link

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

A hapless thief who stole Christmas presents from a home in Aylesford has been imprisoned after leaving a Christmas gift of his own to the investigating police officer.

The offence occurred on the night of December 20 in Lunsford Lane, Aylesford. The homeowners came downstairs on the morning of December 21 to find that the rear door was open and that presents including DVDs, a bracelet and gift vouchers from under the tree had been stolen.

When PC Jo Hazelwood from the local neighbourhood team arrived on scene she conducted a search and found a smartphone under a trampoline in the back garden. Having confirmed it didn’t belong to the homeowners, she seized the phone and returned to the station where, using data contained on the memory, she identified the owner of the phone. He was arrested and in the interview admitted the offence.

Appearing before Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on January 20, Daniel Manser, 23, of Malling Road, Snodland, was sentenced to 120 days imprisonment.

PC Hazelwood said: “Burglary is never acceptable but it is particularly mean spirited to steal Christmas presents from children. Fortunately for us, Manser left behind his smartphone – which was worth much more than the value of the items he stole – and using that we were able to arrest and charge him within 24 hours of the offence being reported and ensure he has been sent to prison as a result.”