Serial Sunderland offender branded a ‘drain on police resources’ to spend Christmas behind bars

Michael Foster, 43, was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) in April 2018 which banned him from setting foot in Ashbrooke, Southwick or Roker, and from being in public in the company of two named individuals.

But after responding to a report of two men acting suspiciously on Belstone Court in Silksworth last month, officers found Foster in the company of a 33-year-old man, which constituted a breach of his CBO.

Foster was also found to be in possession of a red iPod which had been reported as stolen from a vehicle in Silksworth Lane that morning.

Both men were arrested and Foster, of East Moor Road, Pallion, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and breach of his CBO at Newcastle Crown Court last month.

He also admitted a charge of vehicle interference after an e-cigarette containing his DNA was found in a car which had been broken into on Roker Park Terrace in August.

Foster was back in the dock on Monday, October 21, and was jailed for 31 weeks.

Detective Constable Mick Boyd, of Northumbria Police, said: “Michael Foster has been a drain on police resources for a significant amount of time and has been causing misery to residents across Sunderland.

“The CBO which he received 18 months ago came with a number of strict conditions which restricted his movement and acted as a final chance for Foster to clean up his act – or face the consequences.

“Now, after he was found to have ignored that order, Foster has been sent to prison and he can now look forward to spending Christmas behind bars.

“We will not tolerate this type of criminality and I hope Foster’s imprisonment sends out a strong message that frequent offenders who ignore court orders will be pursued by police and brought to justice.”

In a statement, the victim who had her car broken into said: “I felt violated and I was crying shortly after it happened.”