Burglar who stole £10k of goods in late-night shop raids jailed - thanks to footprints

12:04pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in Latest

Miguel Costa Miguel Costa

A BURGLAR who helped steal almost £10,000 worth of drink and tobacco in raids on shops and petrol stations was trapped after leaving his footprints at the scene of his crimes.

Miguel Costa was on licence from a young offenders’ institution when he and two other masked accomplices – one a woman – carried out two middle-of-the-night break-ins with a stolen Ford Fiesta.

Prosecutor Simon Edwards told Winchester Crown Court how CCTV captured the raid on a Co-op store in Highcliffe last month when a drain cover was hurled through the door.

The three rushed inside but only managed to grab a few items before the shop’s smokescreen device activated and the shop filled with smoke.

Minutes later, the trio struck again at the Hordle Service Station in Lymington, when police received a 999 call about three people driving away with £4,000 worth of tobacco and cigarettes.

The Ford was found alight in a Forestry Commission car park a few miles away.

Nearby was another vehicle containing alcohol and Costa and the woman were arrested after a police dog picked up their scent.

No details about either incident were released by police at the time.

Costa, of Glengarry, New Milton, admitted two counts of burglary and one of the aggravated taking and driving away of a car without consent. He also asked for seven other offences to be considered, which included a £5,000 raid on a second garage.

The court heard he had 17 previous court appearances for 40 offences, Jailing him for two years and banning him from driving for 12 months, Judge Peter Henry told Costa the burglaries had all the hallmarks of an organised outing.

The court heard a second man was jailed for six months by magistrates for his role and the woman was cautioned.

Comments(15)

contric says...
12:31pm Tue 19 Mar 13

wow severe sentences im sure they will all think how naughty they are and they will all turn over a new leaf if they do re-offend perhaps the judge could sentence them to an even tougher sentence like sending them to bed without there tea

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spooki says...
1:02pm Tue 19 Mar 13

"The court heard he had 17 previous court appearances for 40 offences, Jailing him for two years and banning him from driving for 12 months" wow he must have started young. Sad.

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Mangiafuoco says...
1:09pm Tue 19 Mar 13

The second man was given 6 months. So why was the woman only cautioned? According to the report she took part in the raids.
When it comes to the law, sexual equality goes out of the window and the female always appears to be treated more leniently.

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IRingwoodLoveTo says...
1:54pm Tue 19 Mar 13

The worst thing is the driving ban doesn't start from when he leaves prison, but from when he was sentenced. Atrocious!

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H2o-hara says...
1:54pm Tue 19 Mar 13

He took a car without consent ? In common terms . He stole it !

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phonehome says...
2:24pm Tue 19 Mar 13

At least he won't be able to drive whilst in prison - unless he's at Ford!

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manyogie says...
5:18pm Tue 19 Mar 13

Mangiafuoco wrote:
The second man was given 6 months. So why was the woman only cautioned? According to the report she took part in the raids.
When it comes to the law, sexual equality goes out of the window and the female always appears to be treated more leniently.
Agreed

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funkyferret says...
5:56pm Tue 19 Mar 13

...and the whole point of disqualifying someone from driving when you then sentence them to prison for a much longer period of time is... ???

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Skyrah says...
11:48pm Tue 19 Mar 13

So, a sentence that equates to 12 months for crimes committed whilst on licence due to committing other crimes! 40 previous offences and he's probably learning a little bit more with each stay in the young offenders hotel and spa! Perhaps by the time he grows up and is eligible to be sent to proper prison (still a well heated holiday camp compared to what hordes of old folk have!) he will have learned to go for targets that are big enough to warrant the slim risk of a long jail sentence!

A dear departed friend of mine spent 4 years in an adult jail in France in the 70's. He was 17 and treated as an adult, whilst inside he got beaten a few times, and told he was a bad son to his mother for ending up in prison! (What's the French for 'ironic'?)

He was surrounded by old lags who had never had an honest job or any hope of a normal life when finally released. He was determined he would not end up like the oldies, and set about learning to read and write (also learning French as the only reading matter available was in French). He often said that the French prison system taught him all he ever learnt - learn from the mistakes of others as well as your own, and never go back to prison! Shame our lame prisons and sentences can't teach this young scrote the same!

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MMM444 says...
6:58am Wed 20 Mar 13

Ha ha ha ha 12mth ban and 2yrs inside????, do 12mths of that, Judge Pete Henry your a joker, So in 12mths time Bournemouth can look forward to this little oink being back on the streets, No wonder we live in broken Britain with judges like you on the circuit, God help us all, Do hope pete henry the next drain cover he slings trough a window dont hit you on the back of the head, Get ya act together, before oinks like this toe-rag kills someone, idiot

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suzigirl says...
8:39am Wed 20 Mar 13

He should be sent back to his/his parents country of origin!!!

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l'anglais says...
10:37am Wed 20 Mar 13

suzigirl wrote:
He should be sent back to his/his parents country of origin!!!
And where would that be?

Many of Britain's ancestors originate from Scandinavia (1200 years ago), should we send those currently doing time at her majesty's pleasure back to their forefathers homeland.

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suzigirl says...
11:51am Wed 20 Mar 13

l'anglais wrote:
suzigirl wrote: He should be sent back to his/his parents country of origin!!!
And where would that be? Many of Britain's ancestors originate from Scandinavia (1200 years ago), should we send those currently doing time at her majesty's pleasure back to their forefathers homeland.
You seem to think you are so clever - do you not know?

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bos2013 says...
4:55pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Im glad you all seem to think this is a massive joke. It was my car that was stolen by this idiot. Not only once but twice! The first time he stole it i had to pay £150.00 to get it back from the police and then £300 to fix it back up to get it back on the road only for it to be stolen by him again the following day and then left to burn. Im now out of pocket £450.00, a car, minus the hours ive lost from missing work to sit with the police giving statements, the money i have spent on public transport to get to work. Plus to be told that i wont recieve any compensation for any of this. I personally dont find it funny. 2 years in my option is not long enough!

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DaveAngel69 says...
5:32pm Mon 25 Mar 13

Poor guy only wanted some fags and booze. Give him a break!

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