A burglar ransacked a Peterborough house before making off wearing a sock, and Nike slider and riding a mountain bike he also stole. Sean Maher added to his ‘haul’ by stealing keys, medication, vape liquids and a video doorbell.
In footage compiled by Cambridgeshire police from doorbell cameras and CCTVC, in one instance Maher, 38, is seen stumbling after walking into a wheelbarrow in a garden of a house he had targeted.
Overnight on Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August last year, Maher tried to enter seven different homes and a car but was unsuccessful after all doors were locked.
He was successful in entering one home in Middleton, but only made it as far as just inside the front door before hearing the occupants inside and making off.
Shortly after, Maher tried the door of a home in Greenham which was unlocked.
The occupant woke the following morning to find the house had been ransacked, including lights being left switched on, drawers pulled open and both front and back doors to the house left wide open.
He’d made off wearing one sock and one Nike slider and riding a mountain bike he stole from the home, along with keys, medication, a video doorbell and vape liquids.
Initially five incidents were reported to police on 13 August, however, following a public appeal for information by the Acquisitive Crime Team (ACT), a further four victims came forward in the following days after checking video doorbell footage and CCTV systems.
After reviewing the footage, ACT officers identified Maher and arrested him in Spalding on 16 August.
Maher, of Welford Place, Wittering, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday (28 May) where he was sentenced to three years in prison.
He admitted seven counts of attempted burglary, two counts of burglary and one count of vehicle interference.
Detective Sergeant Rich Ellison, from the Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “Maher is a prolific offender with 24 previous convictions for burglaries, thefts and other similar offences dating as far back as 1999.
“He went house-to-house through Bretton one night trying to burgle people’s homes, and unfortunately was successful in two of his attempts.
“This was captured on video doorbell cameras and CCTV from multiple addresses, which proved key in our investigation to identify and ultimately convict Maher.”
Doorbell camera helps catch clumsy Cambridgeshire burglar – story via @CambsNewsOnline shortly pic.twitter.com/qCpfvk6zL9
— John Elworthy (@johnelworthy) May 31, 2024
Advice on how to best protect your home from burglars can be found on the Cambridgeshire police website dedicated home security webpages.
