A man was caught out after breaking into two cars - when blood from his stab wound was found at the scene.
Gary Cornelly targeted two cars parked in Paddock and made off with a haul including a designer handbag.
Police discovered blood on the vehicles and soon matched this to the 37-year-old.
He was sentenced to custody yesterday after Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that he had only recently been released from prison following a burglary conviction.
Cornelly stole from two cars parked on Heaton Road late on August 23.
He smashed into a Nissan parked on a track near to a house and took a sat nav and Marc Jacobs handbag.
Cornelly, of Club Houses in Armitage Bridge, then broke into a Skoda Fabia and took dancing shoes and a Nike bag.
Linda Fowler, prosecuting, said: “Blood left inside the vehicles were swabbed, examined and the defendant was identified.
“He said he was in a fight that night and stabbed in his hand.
“The defendant said that he only broke into the two vehicles where his blood was left.”
Bob Carr, mitigating, said that at the time his client owed money to another man and was under pressure to repay his debt.
He said: “The man knew Mr Cornelly had form for breaking into cars and told him to come with him.
“He was attacked and had injuries which left DNA traces on the vehicles.”
The court heard that Cornelly had 117 offences to his name.
At the time of the thefts he had been released from prison on licence for a burglary.
He has since been recalled to prison.
District Judge Michael Fanning sentenced him to 18 weeks in jail for the new offences.
He added: “This sort of offence causes upset and disruption to those whose vehicles are targeted.”
