Shropshire Star

Window cleaner cased Telford homes on job jury told

A drug user used his job as a window cleaner to search for houses to burgle, a court heard this afternoon.

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Barry Gilbert, of Willowfield in Woodside, Telford, selected the houses he would target while working.

The 29-year-old is on trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court and denies two counts of burglary, one count of theft and one count of perverting the course of justice.

The jury heard how on October 10 last year two homes in Waverley in Woodside were burgled.

Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said in the burglary on the first home car keys and an Accurist watch, tobacco, a camera and a telescope were stolen.

The car keys were then used to take a Ford Focus car from the drive.

From the second home, two rings and two LCD televisions were stolen,.

Mr Beardwell said Gilbert was seen by his aunt Teresa McCollum carrying a television.

The Accurist watch and tobacco were found by police at Gilbert's home, Mr Beardwell said.

He said: "The defendant at the time was unemployed and was a user of heroin. He was using heroin by his own admission at a rate of £20 per day.

"He set up a window cleaning and gutter clearing company in the Woodside area to earn money.

"We say it also allowed him the opportunity to look at properties to determine whether they were secure."

Mr Beardwell said one of the home owners realised his home had been burgled when he woke up at 3pm in the afternoon.

"He realised a watch, camera and telescope had been taken and his car from the drive," he told the jury.

"This is not a case where the burglar has been caught red-handed in the property.

"This is a case where we have to put the pieces of a jigsaw together."

Gilbert told the police that he had been window cleaning in the morning but went home and took heroin at lunchtime.

The trial continues.

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