Sheffield burglar with 'terrible criminal history' is jailed again for his latest offences

Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 13 how Liam Taffinder, aged 41, of Binsted Road, near Wadsley Bridge, Sheffield, struck at a home on his road, on October 6; at a property on Parson Cross Road, Sheffield, on October 8 and at another one on Halliwell Crescent, near Southey Green, Sheffield, between October 7 and 10.

Stephanie Hollis, prosecuting, said Taffinder also stole a Ford vehicle belonging to the occupants of the property he targeted on Binsted Road and a Mercedes vehicle from the owner living at Parson Cross Road.

He assaulted two police officers when he was arrested on October 12.

Defence barrister Ed Moss said: “These burglaries are committed with no planning whatsoever. This is a drug addict roaming the streets who takes an opportunity. They are purely opportunistic burglaries.”

Ms Hollis explained an occupant at the Binsted Road property woke in the morning to find her family home had been raided with cupboards searched, drawers opened and property strewn across the hallway, and their Ford vehicle was missing.

She added the occupant at the Parson Cross Road property had also woken to find his home had been raided and wallets, credit cards, electronic games, and tennis racquets had been taken as well as a Mercedes vehicle.

Taffinder also forced his way into a property on Halliwell Crescent through a kitchen window and searched cupboards and stole jewellery including earrings of sentimental value that had belonged to a great grandmother, according to Ms Hollis.

Ms Hollis said police identified Taffinder from CCTV and when he was arrested he grabbed a police officer by her arm and pushed her before he barged past another officer who was also injured during a scuffle.

Taffinder, who has 50 offences to his name including burglaries, pleaded guilty to the three burglaries, two car thefts and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

The court heard Taffinder had only just been released early on licence from prison as part of a previously imposed sentence for two burglaries before these latest offences were committed.

Edward Moss, defending, said Taffinder had tried to get away from his criminality in Sheffield and he had moved to Shrewsbury to be with a new partner.

But Mr Moss added: “The relationship ended and as a result he became homeless - and it was not as a result of criminality - and he was homeless and came back to his home town and without an income found himself in the cycle he had been in for years and years.”

Taffinder started taking drugs again, according to Mr Moss, and he returned to stealing and committing burglaries.

Mr Moss said Taffinder is taking part in a remediation scheme to meet one of his victims, which is indicative of his remorse.

The judge – Recorder Kama Melly KC – who sentenced Taffinder to three years of custody told him he has ‘a terrible criminal history’ and he had only just been released from prison when he committed these latest offences.

She added: “There is no exact clarity as to when you were released from that sentence but it must have only been a period of some months before you were committing these offences.”