Career criminal jailed again for burgling Sheffield living complex for homeless adults

Steven Reynolds, 38, had only been released from prison for a '˜matter of weeks' when he gained access to St Wilfrid's Place in Queens Road on October 4 last year.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Reynolds, of Maltravers Road, Park Hill was confronted by one of the residents in the apartment complex, which is owned and run by the St Wilfrid's Centre charity, after he found him wandering around. 

'He saw the defendant and didn't recognise him so confronted him. He asked the defendant who had let him in and the defendant said it was someone by the name of Abdul,' said Carl Fitch, prosecuting. 

 

 

Mr Fitch said this explanation was accepted by the resident, who subsequently returned to his room to find his laptop had been stolen. 

The laptop was valued at £200, and the resident told police that while it would cost him '˜a lot of money' to replace, he was thankful that he had not done any work on it before it was stolen. 

'The defendant was caught on CCTV footage, and was recognised by police officers who knew him,' said Mr Fitch. 

Mr Fitch described St Wilfrid's Place as an organisation that caters for homeless and vulnerable adults. 

Reynolds has previously been convicted of 91 criminal offences, 60 of which were for theft and kindred offences. 

He pleaded guilty to an offence of dwelling house burglary at an earlier hearing. 

 

 

Mr Fitch said this made Reynolds a '˜sixth strike burglar'. 

Sentencing Council guidelines state that when sentencing an offender for a qualifying third or sixth domestic burglary, the court must apply Section 111 of the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 and impose a custodial term of at least three years. 

Joy Merriam, defending, said Reynolds was '˜institutionalised' and had not spent more than three months outside of custody since being a young man. 

'He was released from prison a matter of weeks earlier...and was given £48 to survive on. He was living with his mother, who expected him to contribute to household bills. He had friends who were living at St Wilfrid's Centre, and the temptation was too much when he saw the laptop.'

Judge Peter Kelson QC sentenced Reynolds to three years in prison.