A prolific house burglar with 44 previous convictions has been jailed again after getting stuck on the roof of a house he broke into.
Winston Allen, 59, spent forty minutes attempting to flee from the police as he stood on the roof of the Cheltenham home.
He threw part of the stolen items into a nearby garden but still had with him a silver Rolex watch and earrings when he was eventually clambered down on November 5.
Allen, of High Street, Cheltenham, was arrested after climbing down from the roof and also admitted carrying out another raid on the same night.
He was jailed for two years and four months at Gloucester Crown Court.
The burglary victim was out of the country at the time of the break-in but was alerted when Allen set off a burglar alarm at the house in the Leckhampton, Cheltenham area.
The alert was sent to the person’s phone and he was seen carrying a torch and ransacking the house, which prompted the victim to call a family member to call the police.
Police rushed to the scene, and spotted the prolific burglar dashing to the back door and climbing to the roof of the house next door.
He stayed prowling around for 40 minutes while bemused officers looked on.
Footage caught on body-worn cameras shows officers surrounding the property shouting at Allen to give himself up as torches were shone on the burglar.
Allen admitted burglary when he was arrested and also admitted carrying out another raid on the same night.
In custody, he had a gold chain and earrings which were later identified by the victim as having come from within their house.
He was also found to have a silver Rolex which was later identified as belonging to the property burgled earlier that night.
Investigating officer PC Sheer from the Cheltenham Vanguard Team said: ‘Being burgled can have a devastating impact on victims leaving them feeling vulnerable in their own homes.
‘It is hoped that Allen’s arrest, charge and sentencing shows how dedicated we are to taking burglars off the streets and helping to ensure the residents of Cheltenham’s homes are safe.’
The 59-year-old was sentenced to two years and four months in prison as well as ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.
In 2022, Allen, who was described as ‘beyond hope’ by a judge was jailed for three years and nine months after committing two burglaries in Cheltenham.
At the time, he had already been convicted 44 times for 121 offences, 21 of those being for burglary, GloucestershireLive reports.
‘You are an entrenched burglar with a pattern of offending that has been carried out over the years,’ Judge Lawrie old him.
The judge added: ‘You’ve had various long spells in custody, but this deterrent is obviously not working. Your youngest child would benefit from you being at home, but this is not going to happen for a while.