A “brazen” thief struck a victim in the face with a flip flop after making off with items from two houses. Joshua Davidson has been jailed after stealing from homes in Peterborough and hit one of his victims with a flip flop before fleeing on foot.
The 32-year-old – who was identified through photographs taken by his victims – later admitted to burglary dwelling and theft and was jailed for one year and eight months at Huntingdon Law Courts. The court heard that in the early hours of May 29 this year, Davidson, from the village of Thorney, reached through the window of a ground-floor flat in nearby Eastfield, making off with a vase from the window ledge.
The thief was captured on CCTV attempting to conceal the stolen vase under his jacket as he cycled away. Little over an hour later, the court was told Davidson brazenly went into another flat in Eastfield – the front door of which had been left ajar.
He took several items including a car key, a fob, a wallet containing bank cards and driving licences as well as two packs of cigarettes. However the court was told his victims, two men, confronted Davidson as he tried to steal from their parked car outside the flat.
He made off on foot, managing to evade the two men after striking one of them in the face with a flip flop. But Davidson’s victims did manage to take a photo of him, which police used to identify the thief.
After his arrest in June, Davidson admitted to two counts of dwelling burglary and theft and was sentenced to one year and eight months behind bars. Detective Constable Matt Reed, an investigating officer from Cambridgeshire Police, said Davidson had been “extremely brazen” in his actions and paid no regard for his victims.
He continued: “Burglaries are very intrusive and can leave people feeling violated and scared in their own homes. Davidson showed no regard for his victims and was extremely brazen.
“We take all burglaries seriously and will do everything we can to put people like Davidson behind bars.”