A clumsy burglar, whose failed break-in attempt was reminiscent of a scene from the film Home Alone, has been jailed after his efforts were captured in full by security cameras.
A Comical and Failed Break-In
In the early hours of December 4, Muhedur Khan, 45 and of no fixed abode, tried to force his way into an office building on Martin Lane, near Monument station in the City of London. The attempt ended in farce when the door handle he was pulling on suddenly snapped off, sending him stumbling backwards. The entire incident was recorded by CCTV.
Undeterred, Khan was then spotted on camera forcing entry into another building on nearby Lovat Lane. Once inside, he performed a peculiar routine: he removed one shoe and his socks. Footage shows him taking a second sock from inside the first. He then placed the socks on his hands, apparently in a misguided attempt to avoid leaving fingerprints.
The Theft and Arrest
Minutes later, Khan was seen leaving the premises carrying a large bag he did not have before. The bag contained stolen goods: five laptops, seven iPhones and five iPads with an estimated total value of £5,500. As he left, he was filmed removing the socks from his hands.
Despite his attempts to conceal his identity, the comprehensive CCTV evidence led police directly to him. He was found and arrested the following day.
Sentencing and Police Statement
At court, Muhedur Khan was sentenced to 12 months in prison for burglary. He received a further 12-month sentence for the attempted burglary on Martin Lane, to run concurrently.
Sergeant James Wood, of the proactive acquisitive crime team at the City of London Police, said: “Burglary has a significant impact on businesses and residential communities especially at Christmas. We will attend all reports of break-ins in the City; giving us the best chance of making an arrest and collecting evidence from a scene.”
He added: “We will always take this type of criminality seriously and thoroughly investigate all evidential leads, including forensics, to bring those perpetrators to justice.”
