A prolific burglar was identified thanks to some handy detective work involving his shoes, a court has heard. Scenes of crime experts were able to recover footprints from the burgled property, which had unique wear marks, and matched those found on Steven Evans' trainers when he was arrested near the scene.
The dedicated dap detective work has seen Evans being sentenced to two years four months in prison. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the 44-year-old defendant broke into a house in Laleston, Bridgend, on November 16 last year but made off after being disturbed.
The householder gave officers a description of the intruder, and Evans - who is well-known to police locally - was arrested nearby. When he was searched he was found to carrying a hammer.
READ MORE: Get the latest court cases sent to your email inbox with our Crime & Punishment newsletter
The court heard the ground floor of the property was carefully searched by scenes of crime officers, and a number of footwear marks were found - when the prints were examined they were found to have a distinctive pattern of wear on the treads which were a match for those on the trainers the defendant was wearing.
Steven Evans, of Coity, Bridgend, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. With a discount for his guilty plea he was sentenced to two years four months in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective superintendent Mathew Lewis praised the work of the Joint Scientific Investigation Unit, the specialist team which works with the South Wales and Gwent forces on investigations.
He said: "The weight of evidence, painstakingly and skilfully secured by our team was critical in securing a conviction. The efforts and perseverance at the scene demonstrate fully the meaning of 'going the extra mile' and is credit to our team's diligence and professionalism in making every effort to bring to justice a burglar who is happy to pry on people whilst they sleep in their own homes and also carry around the equipment to aid them into that excursion into crime. It fully demonstrates both the efforts and value of forensic investigations and the evidence it brings to the table. This is great success story which has played a pivotal role in securing justice."
READ NEXT:
Cocaine dealer paid £30k cash for Mercedes AMG and hid it from girlfriend
Driver in 'boy racer' car with illegal tyres killed sisters in horror crash
Police officers throttled, spat at, and punched in the street as they investigated burglaries
Predatory sex offender seen 'loitering in changing rooms and giving sweets to children'
Man had sexual relationship with his own daughter who had grown up believing he was dead
You can sign up to our regular Crime and Punishment newsletter here while this interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area:
