A prolific criminal has been jailed after he was caught by police trying to get out on to the roof of commercial premises in Huddersfield after he was disturbed during a break-in, a court heard.

The occupier of Tyreseal on the Cliffe Commercial Business Park in Longroyd Bridge had received a call about a broken window at his unit on February 24.

Carmel Pearson, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Tues) he went to check and could find nothing missing but phoned police anyway and “then heard a noise from upstairs.”

When he went up he was confronted by Gary Cornelly who ran away but only got as far as the top of the premises where he was then found by the police having climbed on a table trying to get out on to the roof.

Miss Pearson said the officers then discovered that Cornelly from Berry Brow had burgled the premises next door of Walnut Trading Ltd which had been ransacked. About £4,000 worth of watches, handbags and clothing had been taken.

Cornelly was actually wearing one of the Barbour jackets which had a watch in the pocket. Other goods were also recovered from where he had left them while fleeing.

Miss Pearson said Cornelly had also broken into a car on February 5 and helped himself to some expensive cigars but had not at that stage been linked through DNA to blood left on a carrier bag.

Leeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

He was bailed by police in February and in the early hours of June 16 a man heard a noise outside his home in Cowcliffe and later found his shed had been broken into and a pressure washer and a petrol lawn mower had been stolen.

CCTV footage outside Cornelly’s address showed him wheeling the lawn mower to his home. On the same night he tried to get into an address in Birklands Road but was challenged by a neighbour and his son.

He claimed to have been looking for a dog and that his mother was sick but was not believed and the occupant held on to him while his son called the police. Cornelly struggled and caused an injury to that man’s hand before officers arrived.

Miss Pearson said by then Cornelly was also under a suspended sentence imposed by magistrates on February 8 for stealing from a shed.

Felicity Hemlin, representing him, said drugs were a significant problem for him leading him to owe money to drug dealers which fuelled his ongoing cycle of offences.

Since being in prison he was trying to get off drugs which would change his life for the better.

Cornelly, 39 of Holme Park Court, Berry Brow, admitted three offences of burglary, attempted burglary and theft. He was sentenced to a total of 26 months in prison.

Recorder Ray Singh said he had an appalling record, 59 convictions for 123 offences and it was an aggravating feature he committed offences on bail.