Burglar left red-faced after cops caught him trying to hide laptop down his trousers

Officers were called to an address on Marshall Wallis Road in South Shields at about 11.40pm on December 9 following a report of a burglary in progress.

The occupants were in the kitchen when they heard a bang – and saw Lucas Oliver stood in their hallway.

Oliver originally claimed he was confused and thought it was his house, but the victims soon spotted money had been swiped from a purse and a laptop taken from upstairs.

The heroic homeowners then cornered the 21-year-old crook until police arrived – and it was only a matter of time before officers found various stolen items that had been concealed on him.

It transpired that Oliver had slid the stolen laptop down the front of his trousers, while perfume bottles and a bottle of mustard oil had been concealed in his jacket sleeves.

Oliver, of no fixed abode, admitted burglary when he appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside on Tuesday, January 11, along with a string of unrelated driving offences.

Without a licence, Oliver was pulled over by police after he had taken his girlfriend’s car without consent and was found to be twice above the legal alcohol limit.

Detective Sergeant Chris Raper-Smith, of Northumbria Police, said: “Burglary is such an intrusive crime and the effects of this criminality can not only have a long-lasting effect on the victim, but the wider community as a whole.

“Nobody should be made to feel anxious or frightened in their own home, so it’s imperative that burglars such as Oliver are rightly convicted and brought to justice.

“I would like to praise the homeowners on this occasion for their bravery and swift reactions after finding an intruder in their home.

"They remained calm and quickly alerted us – and we were then able to place him under arrest and seize a number of items that he had tried to conceal on his body.

“We make no apology for our robust stance towards tackling burglars and thieves, and would always encourage anybody who sees anything suspicious to report it to police.”

Oliver pleaded guilty to burglary, driving above the legal alcohol limit, having no licence, no insurance, taking a motor vehicle without consent and possessing a Class B drug.

He is due to be sentenced at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on February 1.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, added: “Having your home burgled is a terribly distressing experience for anyone.

“No one should ever feel violated and unsafe in their own home and I am sorry for the victims who were put through this.

“It’s only right that local people want a tough, rapid response to burglary and this is exactly what the victims here got from Northumbria Police.

“Tackling local burglaries is something the force takes very seriously and I will make sure that work to prevent and fight this type of crime will continue to be high on the agenda.”

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