Caught in the act: Burglars allowed to walk from court despite being pictured breaking into home

Caught in the act: Burglars allowed to walk from court despite being pictured breaking into home

By Luke Salkeld
Last updated at 8:02 PM on 14th May 2009

Brazenly breaking into a house in broad daylight, these two burglars don't look too worried about being caught.

And perhaps with good reason.

Despite this clear picture of the pair forcing a rear window open with a crowbar, the serial offenders have both walked free from court.


Crime in progress: Matthew Clark uses a crowbar to break through Simon Duffy's window, while Stefan Poyster looks out

Matthew Clark, 28, and Stefan Poyster, 21, stole £1,400 of belongings from the three-bedroom semidetached house.

This image of the criminals in action was taken by a neighbour, who also alerted the police.

But despite the photographic evidence, Clark and Poyster escaped a custodial sentence.

The pair, who have a history of drug abuse, admitted burglary but walked free from Bristol Crown Court with a suspended sentence and supervision order.

Their victim Simon Duffy, however, lost a plasma television, a computer games console and a laptop in the midday burglary in Little Stoke, Bristol, last month.

Clark removed a double-glazed window and made off with the haul of electrical equipment while Poyster kept watch.

They then sold the stolen goods to buy drugs and gamble.

But the photographs provided to police by a neighbour were not enough to persuade Judge Simon Darwell-Smith to send either of the men to prison.

Clark, who was the subject of a community order at the time of the burglary, was given a 'final chance' to beat his drug addiction.

He was ordered to attend a project for substance abusers and given a 12-month suspended sentence.

Poyster, who has previous convictions for theft and common assault, was given an 18-month supervision order.

He was also told to attend an offending behaviour programme and was given a six-month curfew.

Mr Duffy, a 42-year-old postman, who has been burgled twice in the past five years, has now bought a guard dog for his home.

He praised his neighbour for catching the men in the act.

He said: 'We took some flowers round to the person who took the picture and told her when they were arrested. It was brilliant, what she did.'

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said: 'I just wanted to be a good neighbour.'

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1181593/Caught-act-Burglars-allowed-walk-court-despite-pictured-breaking-home.html