A SERIAL thief has become the first criminal to be jailed after being caught by a new tag that monitored his every move.
Police arrested Glen Ronnie Foster after a man was seen looking into car windows in Wellesley Avenue, west Hull.
Foster, 38, was wearing a new form of electronic tag that uses satellites to track the wearer's movements 24 hours a day.
The tags, which are being piloted by Humberside Police, were praised by The Honorary Recorder of Hull and East Yorkshire, Judge Michael Mettyear.
He said: "His very own sat-nav showed he was there. This is success for this new innovation."
The tag proved Foster had been on the street when the man was seen acting suspiciously at 6.45am on January 10.
He was stopped by police in nearby Hardy Street at 8.30am.
When he was searched, police found he had three keys from corned beef tins, three torches, black gloves, pliers, a screwdriver and scissors.
Foster, of Beverley Road, admitted going equipped to steal and breaching a suspended prison sentence when he appeared at Hull Crown Court.
The tags are being used to monitor the whereabouts of prolific criminals and sex offenders. Technology also means police can receive alerts if sex offenders enter areas such as schools or parks.
Humberside Police currently have three of the tags in use in Hull and the East Riding.
As there is no law allowing police to force criminals to wear the tags, they have to rely on offenders agreeing to it.
Foster's barrister Ian Phillip told the court: "He had voluntarily agreed to be subject to a new regime of tagging and to wear a tracking device because he is classed as a 'gold' offender. It shows the police where he is at any time."
Foster wore the tag for just under four weeks.
He is one of the city's most prolific criminals, with 154 previous convictions – including for burglary, robbery and thefts from vehicles.
Judge Mettyear said: "You are addicted to crime. You see it as the easy way out of your problems and you don't care about the people affected by your criminal behaviour.
"It is simply not acceptable."
Foster was jailed for a year.
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