Bungling burglar jailed after leaving trail of own blood during break-in spree

The prolific criminal, who had been assaulted hours before committing the offences, was quickly identified through forensic testing of the blood evidence.

Hull Crown Court heard how Atkinson, of Lambert Street, admitted charges of burglary, handling stolen goods and two offences of theft.

Police were alerted to the burglary on Sophia Close, off Beverley Road, on August 3, where officers discovered blood on the ground and door.

"A trail of blood was running down the right side of the property," prosecutor Michael Masson told the court.

"One of the patio doors had been broken off. There was a considerable amount of blood."

The rented property was empty at the time of the break-in, with the owner being notified by management agents.

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The damage to the patio doors cost £2,000 to repair, the court heard.

A crime scene officer was called to investigate, with forensic testing confirming the blood belonged to Atkinson.

On the same day as the house burglary, Atkinson targeted a parked car, leaving another trail of blood both inside and outside the vehicle.

He stole £5 in change from the car, with police discovering him at an address in Lambert Street.

In a separate incident in June, Atkinson was caught handling power tools worth £250 that had been stolen from a house on Lambert Street.

The victim spotted him trying to sell her stolen tools at a second-hand shop in Newland Avenue the following day.

Between July 26 and 29, he broke into another car on Pearson Avenue, leaving blood evidence while stealing a bag containing bank cards.

In mitigation, defence lawyer Oliver Shipley explained that Atkinson had been assaulted hours before the burglary, which "accounts for the blood trailing everywhere".

"He made admissions in interview. He fell into a very dark place and it has led to his offending," Shipley told the court.

Judge John Thackray KC delivered a stark assessment of Atkinson's criminal history during sentencing.

"You are essentially serving a life sentence in instalments. You will just continue to be going in and out of prison for the rest of your life," the judge said.

Atkinson, who was already in custody on remand, was sentenced to three years in prison.