Shropshire Star

JAILED: £30k jewellery burglar left DNA at Oswestry crime scene

A burglar who stole almost £30,000 worth of jewellery and goods from an Oswestry family has been jailed for more than two years.

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Nicholas Sheppard, aged 38, was caught after blood left at the scene matched his DNA and security cameras in the area filmed his van.

Prosecuting barrister Mr Kevin Jones said the householders discovered the break-in when they returned from a trip to Welshpool on January 31.

Sheppard snatched 50 pieces of jewellery worth £28,352 and items of sentimental value including professional badges and children’s teeth collected by the “tooth fairy”.

Mr Jones said: “When they returned home they could see the garden table was leaning up against the wall and was out of place.

"When they went to check it, they saw a window was smashed. They realised there had been a burglary.

“When they went upstairs they found there had been a search. Drawers were opened and two jewellery boxes and the contents were missing, while some other boxes had been emptied.

“Forensic officers were called and blood found on broken glass on the smashed window identified the defendant.

“CCTV from a neighbouring property showed a vehicle arriving and a male walking up the drive. The vehicle registration led to this defendant being arrested.”

Solicitor Advocate Mr Adrian Roberts, mitigating, told the court that Sheppard, originally from the town, returned to drug taking following family problems last year. He had moved to Essex a decade ago, but had links to the area.

Mr Roberts said: “He sold some of the items in Oswestry to pay for petrol to get back to Basildon. He knows what’s coming today.”

Sheppard pleaded guilty to burglary of a dwelling at an earlier hearing.

The court heard he had 21 previous convictions dating to 1997 for offences including dishonesty, forgery and theft.

Judge Peter Barrie told Sheppard that he had taken items of value and sentiment from the premises before sentencing him to two years and five months in jail.

“You broke into the home and took a lifetime of items of value,” the judge added.