Advertisement

Bungling burglar caught out after leaving fingerprints behind when he helped himself to dinner

A sink filled with dirty plates, bowls and cutlery.
The bungling burglar was caught out after police found his fingerprints on a bowl he had eaten out of. (Picture: Getty)

A bungling burglar was caught out after leaving his fingerprints behind on a bowl he used when he helped himself to a meal.

Paul Johnson, 50, was caught on CCTV breaking into student accommodation in Nottingham in the early hours of April 9.

He opened parcels in the reception area and rifled through cupboards and filing cabinets in an office before helping himself to a tin of cod roe that he found.

He mixed the contents with some red cabbage in a bowl before tucking into the fish supper.

But Johnson, of Forster Street, Nottingham, was caught out after police found his fingerprints on the bowl, which he left behind on a chair.

Paul Johnson, 50, helped himself to a meal after breaking into student accommodation in Nottingham during the early hours of April 9. (Picture: SWNS)
Paul Johnson, 50, helped himself to a meal after breaking into student accommodation in Nottingham during the early hours of April 9. (Picture: SWNS)

Johnson was jailed for six months after admitting burglary at Nottingham Crown Court.

He isn’t the first burglar to be caught out after tucking into food during a crime — in 2013 Reece O'Callaghan was jailed after leaving his fingerprints on a pack of Jaffa Cakes when he broke into an elderly couple's home.

Read more: Burglars caught after leaving fingerprints on bottle of Dettol while trying to cover their tracks

Detective Sergeant Lee Cattell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “It was a great collective effort, involving numerous departments, which helped us to identify Johnson, secure the evidence and bring him to justice.

“I hope the fact that he is now behind bars offers some reassurance to victims and our communities that Nottinghamshire Police is committed to tackling and reducing burglaries and taking criminals like Johnson off our streets.”