December 04, 2007

Blood on broken glass fingers young burglar

Blood left by an offender at the scene of a Cranford Street burglary was later matched through the police?s DNA database.

The burglary of a television servicing shop in Cranford was a messy affair with broken glass from the smashing of the main door and a display cabinet. Blood samples were taken at the scene.

About $1000 worth of goods was taken but $500 worth of damage was done in the process.

Greg Matthew Bell, an 18-year-old part time labourer, agreed to give blood for the DNA database when the police were dealing with him on an unrelated matter.

The sample provided the link to the Cranford Street burglary.

He pleaded guilty to the burglary charge in the Christchurch District Court today before Judge John Strettell.

Defence counsel Kerry Cook said Bell had been going through a troubled period in his life but had now distanced himself from the friends he was running with last year and in the early part of this year. He was abstaining from alcohol.

With the court appearance, the enormity of what he had done was hitting home, Mr Cook said.

Judge Strettell said Bell had no convictions of a similar type but had $1730 in unpaid fines.

He warned Bell that the courts would have limited sentencing options if he did not get his life on track soon.

He sentenced him to 160 hours of community work and ordered him to pay $1566 reparations for the stolen goods and the damage done at the shop.

He?ll have to pay it off at $10 a week, but the rate will be reviewed in two months. Judge Strettell said he expected the teenager to have a full time job by then.