Prolific Sheffield burglar is jailed for latest stealing spree

Hydes was sentenced to 42 months in prison, during a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court held this morning

Persistent offender, Shane Hydes, was hauled before Sheffield Crown Court this morning after he admitted to two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary, relating to two incidents that took place last year.

Louise Gallagher, prosecuting, told the court that the first offence in time occurred at around 10pm on August 8, when Hydes, of no fixed abode, attempted to break-in to a Sheffield University accommodation building in Pitt Street in the city centre.

She said: "The security guard monitoring the CCTV protecting the university building saw the defendant attempting to break in to an apartment block.

"He was levering the door with a piece of wood."

Police subsequently arrested Hydes, aged 50, and found him to be carrying tools including bolt cutters in his rucksack.

He told officers he was trying to gain access to the building to find somewhere to sleep, and that the tools in his possession were to be used on his bicycle and for gardening, the court heard.

Hydes struck again on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, when he stole the keys to a Mercedes and two mobile phones from a houseboat moored up at Victoria Quays.

A short time later he broke into another houseboat and stole a skeleton ornament.

Hydes was arrested by police that evening, and pleaded guilty to the offences at a court hearing held last month.

The court was told that he has 60 previous convictions for offences of theft and burglary.

Defending, Rebecca Tanner, said Hydes did not remember the burglaries committed on New Year's Eve, because he had accidentally smoked Spice when he picked up a butt from the floor that he assumed contained tobacco.

She added that Hydes has a long-standing and 'entrenched' addiction to Class A drugs, but realised he could not go on offending and abusing drugs.

"He won't be around forever, and he knows his lifestyle causes devastation to those around him, to the victims of his offending and also to his physical and mental health."

Hydes was sentenced to a total of 42 months in prison.