Serial Sunderland thief jailed after he left trail of his own blood at crime scene

Kevin Sandilands carried out a string of thefts in the Southwick area of Sunderland throughout November and December last year.

Among his victims was a disabled mum who he left distressed after breaking into her shed and taking her specially-adapted walking sticks, along with tools and frozen food.

However officers were able to catch him after he left a trail of his own blood on the door of another shed that he has smashed his way into.

When his blood came back as a forensic match, the 33-year-old was placed under arrest on Wednesday, January 12.

He admitted to police that he was responsible for the string of offences and subsequently charged before being jailed for 12 months by magistrates in South Tyneside on Thursday, January 13.

Sandilands, of Chestnut Crescent, Marley Pots, pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary and two counts of theft from a motor vehicle when he appeared in court.

Detective Constable Patrick Keenan, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is a welcome outcome after Sandilands showed a total disregard for families in Southwick through his prolific offending.

“He did not give a second thought to his victims, as he broke into cars and garden sheds in an opportunistic ploy to get hold of any valuables that he could.

"One of his victims was a disabled woman – and he even had the audacity to steal her walking sticks.

“Unfortunately for him, he inadvertently cut himself during one of these break-ins and left a trail of blood at the scene.

"That allowed our excellent forensic team to carry out checks and prove beyond any doubt that he was responsible.

“The weight of evidence against Sandilands was overwhelming, and as a result of the thorough investigation carried out by officers, he had little choice but to admit a string of offences in court.

“I welcome the custodial term handed down to him, and to get an offender arrested, charged, convicted and jailed all within 24 hours is an excellent outcome. I would like to thank everyone involved, including the victims for their cooperation as well as all our criminal justice partners.”

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