Burglar caught on Wirral streets with socks on his hands

Jun 10 2009 Birkenhead News

A 23-YEAR-OLD man broke into a Wallasey photography shop, but was picked up by police that night while walking around with socks on his hands.

Lee Anglesey, of Town Meadow Lane, appeared before Birkenhead Magistrates on Friday and entered a guilty plea to a charge of burglary other than dwelling with intent to steal.

He was arrested by police in the early hours of May 15 after the owner of Studio 42 on Seabank Road – only open for two days – reported a break-in.

Prosecuting, Alan Currans told the court: “The owner lives in the flat above the premises and went to bed at 11.30pm on May 14, having ensured the doors were locked.

“At 1.15am, he heard a noise downstairs and thought nothing of it, but it was playing on his mind, so he went to check the premises.

“He went downstairs, through another door that was locked, and into the front room of the property where he saw the front door had been smashed and there was glass on the floor.”

The incident was reported and at 1.45am, the proprietor was “leaning through the front window and saw a male being chased by police”.

Following the alert, police officers noticed “a male in that location with socks on his hands.

“He then removed the socks and began to walk away, and was seen to throw the socks to the ground.

“At this point, the officers stopped the vehicle and gave chase to the defendant.”

But when Lee Anglesey was arrested, he replied “they made me do it”.

Alan Currans said: “He said the previous night he was with a male known to him, but who he wouldn’t name.

“He said the male told him he needed to do something for money, and if he didn’t do it he would get hurt.

“He said he was told about a shop which had been done up, with cameras in it.

“The male wanted the cameras and he was told to ‘do the job’.”

Lee Anglesey then claims “the males grabbed him” and he was escorted to the shop.

One male kicked the door and disappeared, while another kicked through the second door “and then ran away”.

When arrested he “conceded he did have socks on his hands in order to stop finger prints being transferred”, Alan Currans said.

Lee Anglesey will be sentenced on June 26.