Career burglar jailed after spate of raids

Samuel Irving Hunter

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Samuel Irving Hunter, described as a 'professional burglar', ransacked family homes across Greater Manchester in a £150,000 spree.

Hunter helped himself to luxury cars, wedding rings and memory sticks containing irreplaceable photographs in a series of break-ins.

Targeting homes in semi-rural locations, the crook forced his way in as those inside slept.

Cars including an Audi A3, a BMW 520D, an Audi A4 were stolen from homes in Rochdale, Bury, Stalybridge and Saddleworth, as well from Hadfield and Glossop in Derbyshire.

Victims were said to have been left feeling vulnerable and violated.

Now Hunter, 28, of Bradford, North Manchester, has been jailed for five years and eight months by Judge Patrick Field QC, who said the offences showed he was a 'professional burglar'.

His accomplice in two of the offences, Kyle Brindley, 22, of Newton Heath, was jailed for 34 months. Brindley was recruited by Hunter to help with two burglaries in Chadderton and Hyde last autumn.

The Chadderton raid was interrupted after the householder was woken by a bang, and saw two black-clad men staring at his home before walking off.

Brindley was caught after police spotted him in a BMW stolen from the Hyde break-in.

Following a high-speed chase through Bolton, Brindley dumped the car, ran off on foot, and scampered down a drain shaft to a sewer where he was cornered.

Hunter was caught a short time later, in Bolton, driving a Peugeot stolen from the same address in Hyde.

By that time he had stolen cars, electrical goods, cash, clothes and personal effects totalling £142,222 in value, and caused £2,910 in damage in six burglaries and two attempted burglaries. Hunter admitted conspiracy to burgle. Brindley admitted dangerous driving, burglary and attempted burglary.

A trail of evidence linked both to the offences. The pair have a history of criminal dishonesty.

Prosecutor Robert Smith told Manchester Crown Court: "In September and October 2016 Samuel Hunter conspired with a number of others to commit a series of dwelling house burglaries.

"The method adopted by the conspirators was remarkably simple - they would travel out of Manchester, usually in a car hired from Europcar or Avis, break into an address, and steal the keys for the vehicles parked outside that address using the stolen keys.

"The stolen vehicles and the hire car would then be driven back to Manchester in tandem. False or cloned plates would then be affixed to the vehicles so that they could be used, sold or passed on to others."