TWO teenage burglars carried out a pre-planned raid on a house in Stafford, a judge heard.
Joshua Titley and a 17-year-old sent each other text messages, one saying they should look for a “posh” house.
Their chosen target was in Bellassis Street, the home of the father of one of Titley’s friends, said Paul Farrow, prosecuting.
Owner Carl Hobson came home on August 19 to find a window open, his bedroom door broken open and his company laptop and a camera, together with £440 in cash missing.
Mr Hobson suspected immediately that Titley might be involved, but when police arrested him, he denied being there.
A check on his mobile phone revealed the text message exchanges with the youth, who was also arrested, Mr Farrow told Stafford Crown Court.
Titley, aged 19, of Friar Street, Stafford and the youth, who cannot be named, also from Stafford, both admitted a charge of burglary.
Titley was sent to youth custody for 16 months, but the youth, who had never been in trouble previously, was given a two year rehabilitation order.
The judge told Titley, whose criminal record included a previous offence of burglary: “One can only imagine the dismay of the owner when he came home and found his house searched and his property stolen. It was clearly planned and you were hooded when you com- mitted it.”
The judge imposed reporting restric- tions in the case of the youth and told him: “This is your first offence. To a degree you were under the influence of your co-accused.”
Mark Nicholls, for Titley, said: “One of the reasons he committed this offence was because of his involvement in the drugs scene. He’s put firm distance between himself and those people.”
Joanne Clark, for the youth, said he came from a good home.
