STUART GARDNER

Stuart Gardner

When dropped his mobile phone after breaking into retired magician Peter Diamond's home he simply went back and asked Peter Diamond to return it!

It emerged it was not the first time Gardner had dropped his property during raids and left it behind.

One police officer said: 'This guy has to be as dumb as you get...some of the guys at the police station were in stitches when they found out what happened."

But 74-year-old Peter Diamond didn't find it at all amusing: "The burglary really shook me up and it was so frightening - yet it didn't seem to bother him...The fact he came back and asked for his mobile showed he hadn't got a care in the world whether he was caught or not." (Stuart Gardner)

Preston Crown Court court heard Gardner had smashed the back window to force his way inside Mr Diamond's home.

He then ransacked the ground floor of the terraced house, pulling papers out of cupboards and emptying drawers as he searched for cash.

But he fled empty handed save for a set of keys after going upstairs and hearing the householder making noises in his room.

Later he turned up in Mr Diamond's garden - spotted the pensioner at his back door and asked for his phone back.

Gardner also returned house keys he had stolen to Mr Diamond.

When police arrived to take Mr Diamond's statement, the officer received a report another property in the street had been targeted.

The officer raced to that property and caught Gardner red-handed with a rucksack full of stolen property. He told her: 'You've got me - I'm the burglar.'

As Gardner of Scotfoth Road, Fishwick, Preston was being placed in handcuffs, he saw Mr Diamond who had followed the officer to the property. He turned to the victim and apologised for breaking into his property.

At the time of the burglaries in February, Gardner was on bail after being arrested for a break-in at commercial premises and the theft of copper cable.

He had been caught after leaving a tobacco pouch with his fingerprints at the scene of another of the crimes.

In court Gardner admitted three burglaries and theft, and asked for a further 12 burglaries to be taken into consideration.

He had 44 previous offences on his record and was liable for a statutory minimum three-year sentence, the court heard.

Defence counsel Adrian Williams said a promising career as a plasterer was blighted by an amphetamine habit which was costing him, at one time, £100 a day.

Judge Anthony Russell QC, said: 'It is sad to see a man with so much promise and a good work background to be committing offences because of drug abuse.'

Outside court Mr Diamond - who travelled the world performing illusions for more than 30 years - said: 'I was shocked when the burglary itself happened.

'When the chap who did it then appeared in the garden shortly afterwards wanting his phone, I couldn't believe his cheek. He had some front to come back and I was completely shocked.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Sgt Matt Kerr of Preston CID said: 'By his own actions Gardner convicted himself. To go back and ask for his mobile phone was a very stupid thing to do.'

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