• Stuart Gibbs, of Leicester, jailed for 18 months for the attempted burglary
• The 24-year-old admitted the offence after police caught him with message
• Admitted a string of later offences including dangerous driving

Gibbs admitted attempted burglary and was jailed for 18 months at Leicester Crown Court

A would-be burglar has been locked up after police found a text message he sent before trying to break into a house which read: ‘I’ve told you 20 times – don’t ring me when I’m out robbing’.

Dozy Stuart Gibbs was caught hiding in a shed behind the house in Leicester after a vigilant resident contacted police when she two men acting suspiciously in a neighbour’s garden.

Officers found the incriminating message, which had been sent earlier that day, when they checked his phone after he was discovered.

The 24-year-old father-of-two was jailed for 18 months at Leicester Crown Court after admitting attempted burglary on March 20.

He also pleaded guilty to a string of other offences including dangerous driving, driving when disqualified, handling stolen goods and possessing cannabis.

The court heard how Gibbs, of Leicester, was arrested after police were alerted by a nearby resident who saw two men in a neighbour’s garden at 8.45pm.

Officers arrived at the house in the Belgrave area of the city, which belonged to a man in his 70s who was away on holiday, to find a back door had been smashed, causing £400 of damage, although nothing had been taken.

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said: ‘The police found the defendant hiding in a shed nearby. Glass fragments on his gloves matched those from the broken window.’

He added Gibbs had sent the text message around two hours earlier.

Gibbs also admitted dangerously driving a Mazda, driving when disqualified and handling a stolen laptop and iPod.

He was travelling towards Leicester on the A50 and sped through several red lights during a police pursuit.

Gibbs veered onto the wrong side of the road and drove over the limit before he eventually abandoned the vehicle nearby.

The Belgrave area of Leicester, where Gibbs was caught with the text message while hiding in a shed

An off-duty police community support officer then saw Gibbs discard a bag under a bush, containing a laptop, as well as an iPod with his fingerprints on.

The court heard they had been stolen, by persons unknown, the night before in a house burglary in Leicester.

Gibbs further pleaded guilty to driving a motorcycle when disqualified and without insurance on June 17, and possessing a small amount of cannabis on September 30.

Judge Simon Hammond told Gibbs how the elderly victim of the attempted break-in had been left feeling ‘vulnerable’.

Judge Hammond said the elderly victim of the attempted break-in had been left feeling ‘vulnerable’

He told Gibbs he appreciated a prison sentence would cause ‘hurt’ to his partner and two children, ‘especially at Christmas time’.

Gibbs’ previous convictions include seven thefts, two offences of dangerous driving, five of driving when disqualified and two of handling stolen goods.

James Varley, defending, said: ‘He doesn’t have any previous convictions for burglary.

‘He can’t explain the text message and it doesn’t reflect the situation or his antecedent history.’

Gibbs was several hours late attending court for sentence, because he was saying ‘farewell’ to his partner and children, aged five months and two years.

Mr Varley said: ‘It’s particularly hard for him going into custody at this time of year.’

He was jailed for a total of 18 months and banned from driving for 18 months.

– Mail Online