A man who burgled his neighbours’ home after being trusted to look after their dogs while they were on holiday has been jailed at Lincoln Crown Court.
Peter Buchanan removed the safe from the property in Low Gate Road, Fleet Hargate, as well as stealing other items including bank cards, clothing, food and shoes.
Philip Plant, prosecuting, said the victims first learned of the burglary when their bank contacted them two days into their holiday after a suspicious withdrawal of £250 from their bank account.
A relative was sent to check on the property and discovered that the house had been burgled and the safe was missing.
Buchanan’s fingerprint was found at the scene, When officers arrested him at his home they carried out a search and discovered a stash of cannabis.
Later his computer was examined and police discovered that he had been accessing the dark web to buy drugs.
Mr Plant said that Buchanan’s activities on his computer put him in breach of an earlier sexual harm prevention order which restricted his use of the internet.
Buchanan ,32, formerly of Low Gate Road, Fleet Hargate, but now living at Gilbert Road, Bircotes, near Worksop, admitted burglary of his neighbour’s home on 26 September this and possession of cannabis.
He was jailed for 876 days. He also admitted breach of a sexual harm prevention order imposed for a previous offence of possession of indecent images. He was resentenced for his original offence and given a 238 day consecutive jail sentence making a total jail sentence of 1,114 days.
Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told him “Plainly these offences are so serious that only a sentence of immediate custody can be imposed.”
Mark Watson, in mitigation, said Buchanan admitted his offences at the earliest opportunity.
He said that Buchanan had managed to stay out of trouble for some time but returned to crime following the breakdown of a relationship as a result of which he began using drugs again.
“He is sorry for his victims. He has shown remorse,” said Mr Watson.
