A prolific burglar is starting a prison sentence after targeting three Maidstone properties in one night.
At around 1am on Tuesday 24 May 2022, Dale Pearson broke into a snooker club in Buckland Hill and stole £120 from the cash register and a quantity of coins.
He then walked to a nearby bowls club and damaged a window to gain entry to a secure building. He left this property empty-handed and then walked up a drive in Buckland Hill to enter a porch on the front of a house.
CCTV footage
The burglaries were reported on the following morning and investigators examined CCTV footage in the area. They found images of him outside the snooker club and entering the porch in Buckland Hill.
Local officers identified Pearson from a distinctive tattoo on his neck, and forensic examination at the first break-in recovered his fingerprint from inside the cash register.
Pearson, of Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge, was arrested on 21 June. He was later charged with three burglaries.
Guilty
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday 25 August and was sentenced to two years and 146 days’ imprisonment.
Detective Constable Chris Welham, of Maidstone CID, said: ‘Pearson is a prolific burglar and his criminal record was a consideration when he was sentenced.
‘He did not consider the effect his actions would have on the victims, who were targeted in the hours of darkness, and was purely focused on stealing anything of value during his crime spree. A jail term is entirely appropriate in these circumstances.’