A burglar has been jailed for stealing two vehicles in Wollaton after previously insisting he had “just found a car” when he was stopped by police while driving one of them.
Marley Blair has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after admitting to stealing two Mini Coopers in a late-night burglary on Middleton Boulevard in Wollaton.
After ramming into a police car to flee officers, Blair was arrested on February 4 last year – 24 hours after the burglary – but denied any involvement in the burglary or the car thefts.
However, he was arrested again on July 22 after police discovered messages on his phone talking about the cars being stolen and an attempt to resell them.
Blair also snapped a photo of one of the Mini Coopers on his cell phone within an hour of the burglary, sometime between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on February 3.
Despite discovering this evidence, Blair claimed that he had nothing to do with the burglary, which took place between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on February 3, and that a “gang boss” instead picked up his phone and sent the messages.
Following a full inquiry by Nottinghamshire Police, Blair, 39, of Duke Street, New Basford, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft of the two cars when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday (12 January).
Nottinghamshire Police Detective Constable Natalia Montano said: “Police take burglary very seriously so I am delighted that we have been able to secure a conviction in this case.
“The evidence gathered by our burglary team shows that Blair was not concerned with the impact his actions would have on others.
“There really is no excuse for making people feel unsafe in their own homes, so it is important that we are able to bring those who cross that line to justice and to the public to show how committed we are as a force to reduce burglaries.”
The force has two proactive burglary teams dedicated to fighting this type of crime as well as assisting victims.
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