A man has been jailed for two years and eight months after burgling a vicarage in Luton, twice in two days.
Paul Tripp, 45, of Albert Road, Luton was handed a 32-month sentence for burglary offences on Friday, February 5, 2021, at Luton Crown Court.
On November 7, 2020, Tripp was involved in a burglary on the residential grounds of a church in Castle Street at around 10.30pm.
The victim came downstairs to find a man, later known as Tripp, in the property with a screwdriver in his hand. Once Tripp saw the victim, he ran away before he could take anything.
The next day (November 8), Tripp returned to the property at around 5.30pm.
The victim went upstairs to take a look at the man and immediately recognised him as the person who broke into his home the previous night. He took his picture, called the police and Trip ran away.
Tripp was arrested on at around 6.30pm after officers searched the local area with the image of the offender. A section 18 search was conducted of Tripp’s house where a small cannabis plant was being grown and was later destroyed.
Detective Constable Andy Boston, from Bedfordshire Police’s dedicated burglary team, said: “Tripp targeted the same property twice in two days despite the distress he caused to his victim.
“Taking a photo of Tripp played a critical part in arresting him so quickly and I would like to thank the victim for his quick actions and the prompt response from uniformed officers.”
“There is no doubt that Tripp is a career criminal and I hope his time behind bars gives him time to reflect on his actions and gives him the motivation to work towards a better life.”
Anyone with suspicions about criminal activity can contact police via our online reporting tool.
If you’ve been affected by crime you can also contact Signpost for free and confidential support, whether the crime has been reported to police or not. For further information or to get in contact, visit signpostforbedfordshire
