A "PROFESSIONAL" burglar remembered his gloves, but forgot to collect his bolt-croppers after raiding a garage.
Jeffrey Smith, 34, wore a cap and gloves when he broke in through the roof of a BP garage in Spring Bank West, west Hull, overnight between June 5 and 6.
It took him just five minutes to dodge the alarm system, but police were able to identify and arrest him after he left his DNA on a pair of red-handled bolt-croppers found at the scene.
Smith, who has a string of previous convictions for burglaries and offences of dishonesty across Yorkshire, emptied cash from two tills and smashed his way into cigarette cabinets before leaving with a haul of £634 cash, cigarettes worth £613.82, and stamps worth £16.02.
He also caused £300.69 of damage to the premises and £388.80 of damage to the cabinets.
The burglary at the business, which closed at 10pm on June 5 and was due to reopen at 7am the next day, was discovered when an employee arrived for work at 6.15am.
When Smith, of Carrington Avenue, off De la Pole Avenue, west Hull, was arrested and interviewed by police, he gave "no comment" answers to all questions put to him, including when officers showed him still images of him in his cap and gloves in the garage taken from CCTV.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, described Smith as a professional burglar and said, although the financial loss to the parent company may not seem much, "in terms of that garage and the staff it would amount to significant loss".
Stephen Robinson, defending, said: "The defendant has a bad record, I concede that."
Mr Robinson also acknowledged that the probation service assessed Smith as being at high risk of reoffending, but said: "He does express remorse in the pre-sentence report for his actions – this may well be something of a first for this defendant."
The barrister said Smith had problems with drug and alcohol abuse, but had replaced Class A drugs with amphetamines.
He said Smith's uncle, a heavy drinker, had been trying to stop his nephew drinking but died from alcohol abuse before he could help him further.
Mr Robinson said: "That gentleman had been trying to help and teach this defendant the error of his ways, but he unfortunately died while he was trying to help the defendant.
"Rather than that acting as a lesson, he started to drink more."
But Mr Robinson said Smith, who appeared in court via a video link to Hull Prison, had managed to avoid the alcohol that was readily available in jail.
"He does realise he shouldn't drink any more," said Mr Robinson.
"He's avoided alcohol in prison. Sadly, that is available, prisoners brewing their own."
Judge Simon Jack jailed Smith for two years.
He told Smith: "You are a prolific burglar. The prosecution say you are a professional burglar, and it's hard to suggest that they are wrong about that, given your record.
"I take the view I would be failing in my job if I did not pass an immediate custodial sentence."
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