Serial crook back in jail after admitting three-week crime spree in Northampton

A serial crook is back in jail after admitting a string of burglaries and fraud offences during a three-week crime spree in Northampton

Leon Glasgow, 43, pleaded guilty to a total of 12 offences – six residential burglaries, one attempted burglary and five related frauds – between June 18 and July 7 this year.

The thief netted a PlayStation, a mountain bike, jewellery, iPads, booze, cash and a bank card — which he later used to buy £130-worth of goods — during the series of break-ins at houses.

But he was caught by police working for Northamptonshire's Operation Crooked team after they noticed a spike in the number of burglaries in the Duston and Dallington areas — all involving a man wearing a surgical face mask and a high-vis jacket.

PC Tom Hollis of the Burglary Team West, who led the investigation, said: “After a spike in burglaries in Duston and Dallington, officers from the Burglary Team West carried out targeted patrols.

“It was as a result of their in-depth knowledge of the various burglaries in the area that they were able to recognise Glasgow as the offender by his appearance because on each occasion he wore a surgical type face mask and hi-vis jacket.”

Glasgow, who was on licence for a robbery offence, has been recalled to prison and will be sentenced at Northampton Crown Court for these offences on a date to be fixed.

The court heard Glasgow, of no fixed address, first struck at a house in Fir Tree Walk, Westone, on June 18 stealing a bank card, PlayStation 4, Ipad, Superdry coat and cosmetics.

On the same day, he used a stolen bank card five times to purchase goods to a combined value of £130.69.

Twelve days later, Glasgow targeted a home in The Lawns, Duston — where he took a specialised mountain bike — before committing four more break-ins and one attempted burglary in the space of four days.

On July 4, he stole bottles of alcohol from an address in Holyrood Road, Duston, and a day later took a camera Amazon fire tablet and jewellery from a house in Harlestone Road, Duston.

Glasgow burgled two more homes two days later. One was in Bants Lane, Duston where he stole jewellery, an iPad, North Face backpack and some currency; and another in The Avenue, Dallington, where he stole a purse and iPad.

He failed to gain entry to another house in Harlestone Road, Duston, on July 7 but was arrested by officers in Argyle Street the following day.

Operation Crooked was set up in 2019 as the Northamptonshire force launched a campaign to cut burglaries in the county.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/burglaries-hit-12-year-low-northmptonshire-police-crackdown-cuts-crime-2548594?fbclid=IwAR0ScCPMawTW5f4ZUZiCWzoZZOtgiBwzI05E89chl7MshJDdtZlgARqRO8c

The number of break-ins in the county fell by 34 pedr cent to a 12-year-low in its first year.