Burglar, 44, is jailed after 8mph mobility scooter getaways

Disabled burglar, 44, is jailed after making low-speed getaways from two house raids on his 8mph mobility scooter

  • John Francis stole bank cards, cash, and other valuables from a Worcester home
  • Francis was then caught on CCTV the next day going on a spending spree 
  • Four days after first incident he broke into a female student’s bedroom 
  • Francis, 44, fled empty-handed before riding away on his getaway scooter 
  • He was jailed for 26 months for burglary, attempted burglary and fraud

John Francis admitted burgling the first house because he knew where the cash and valuables were after carrying out decorating work at the property

A disabled burglar has been jailed after he made slow getaways from two house raids – on his 8mph mobility scooter.

John Francis, 44, crawled through a kitchen window to get into one home in Worcester while a family of nine people – including children – were asleep upstairs on May 26 last year.

He stole bank cards, cash, a laptop, an iPad and an iPhone before fleeing on his electric cart, which was parked outside, and was caught on CCTV the next day going on a spending spree, buying a drill, whisky, trainers and a hoodie.

Francis later admitted burgling the first house because he knew where the cash and valuables were after carrying out decorating work at the property. 

On May 30 he broke into a female student’s bedroom in the same town and fled empty-handed before riding away on his getaway scooter.

Police raided his home in Worcester and seized the vehicle as well as a homemade Taser.

He was jailed for 26 months after he admitted burglary, attempted burglary and fraud charges at Worcester Crown Court.

Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Nicholas Cartwright said: ‘It must have been terrifying for that young woman to wake and find you climbing in the window that way.’

The judge added that the electronic devices Francis stole from the first house contained the family’s personal details.

John Francis arrives and parks his mobility scooter outside Worcester Magistrates’ Court

He said: ‘The laptops and phones did not just represent a financial loss to their owner but contained photographs, personal messages and other personal data.’

The court heard Francis had a string of 32 previous offences including many for shoplifting and drugs.

He admitted breaking into a six-bedroom house in Hillary Road, Worcester, on May 26, where he sneaked in through a window and ransacked the downstairs rooms.

As well as stealing electronic devices, he also swiped £100 in cash from a tea pot before escaping on the scooter.

One May 30 while dressed in black clothing, he attempted to burgle another house in Devon Road, Worcester, but was caught when he disturbed a female student.

Prosecutor Siobhan Collins said: ‘She was woken up at 3.20am to find the defendant attempting to gain access through her bedroom window which was very close to her.

‘She described is as being just over her head.

‘When the victim shouted at him, he ran away.

‘He got on a mobility scooter and left.’

The woman’s uncle, who was a taxi driver, obtained a photograph of Francis from a neighbouring property and contacted police.

Officers swooped on his home on June 9 and arrested Francis who was also caught on CCTV using bank cards from the earlier burglary.  

Francis said he had been ‘looking to burgle’ another house when he broke into the student’s house because he ‘had no money.’

The judge ordered him to serve at least half his sentence in prison.

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