Dudley dad jailed after being caught red handed (From Dudley News)

Dudley dad jailed after being caught red handed

11:03am Tuesday 29th January 2013 in News

A YOUNG Dudley father who was caught red handed after raiding a house in the town so he could provide for his family has been jailed for a total of 16 months.

Shawn Graham, of Waverley Street, who was on a suspended prison sentence at the time for an earlier burglary had been drinking and he was "not thinking straight," said Miss Nicole Steers defending.

She told Wolverhampton Crown Court the 22 year-old wanted to buy things for his partner and child and he "went the wrong way about it," adding, "He knows it was stupidity."

Miss Steers said Graham realised he should have learned a valuable lesson from his previous offending and concluded, "He is thoroughly ashamed of what he has done."

Graham admitted burgling the house in Duncan Edwards Close and stealing property including a ring, watches and a camera.

He was jailed for 10 months for the offence and told he must serve another 6 months behind bars for breaching the 52 week sentence that was suspended for two years at the Crown Court in April 2011.

Phillip Brunt prosecuting said a neighbour of the burglary victim spotted a man climbing over her garden fence and notified police.

Officers were quickly on the scene and Graham was recognised as he tried to escape on foot while disposing of a bag containing a pair of gloves and a screwdriver.

A second bag was then found by police which contained the items Graham had taken from the house. "You were caught red-handed," he was told by Recorder Kevin Hegarty QC.