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More on KentOnline
A perfume burglar’s one man crimewave was thwarted after he twice left blood at the same crime scene.
Drug addict Louis Sheehan was also filmed twice on CCTV raiding thousands of pounds worth of designer perfume from Margate’s High Street Boots store.
The 38-year-old would later loot aftershave from Faversham High Street’s Boots and attempted to angle-grind through the back door of Smyth’s Toys in Westwood Retail Park, Broadstairs.
Sheehan pleaded guilty to the crimes - which totalled £25,000 in missing merchandise and damage - at Canterbury Crown Court.
Prosecutor Keith Yardy told Recorder Richard Thomas, Sheehan and an accomplice were “clearly tooled up for the (Smyth’s) job.”
The court heard Sheehan raided the Margate Boots by breaking through the front door on February 24 causing £9,000 worth of damage.
Officers recognised the thief after examining CCTV and a DNA test showed a partial match.
Sheehan returned to the same store on April 22 and broke through the boarded window before stealing more perfume and causing £14,500 worth of damage, the court heard.
Again he left behind blood and was identified via CCTV.
Appearing via video link from HMP Elmley, Sheehan, who represented himself, told the court the crimes committed between February and May stemmed from homelessness.
However since being arrested and remanded in custody he is tackling a heroin and cocaine addiction, he explained.
He told Recorder Thomas: “I just want to say I was guilty (sic) boss."
Sheehan, of no fixed address, admitted three burglaries, attempted burglary, criminal damage and failing to provide a specimen.
The criminal damage charge came after Sheehan smashed up his mum’s front room causing £600 worth of damage last October.
Recorder Thomas jailed Sheehan for 28 months.
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