Luton crook who threatened man with screwdriver during burglary spree jailed for over 10 years

A Luton career crook who threatened a man with a screwdriver during a string of burglaries has been jailed for ten-and-a-half years.
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Jason Smith, 34, previously of Kingsland Road, began his latest crime spree on December 2 last year when CCTV footage captured him trying to burgle a home in Oving Close at 11.30pm.

Nine days later, on December 11, a car was stolen from Hardcourt Street.

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This same vehicle was used during a botched burglary at 6.20am the next morning (December 12), when Smith attempted to steal a car from Carteret Road but was disturbed by the owner, who took the getaway car's details.

Jason SmithJason Smith
Jason Smith

On December 13, Smith committed three further crimes before he was arrested.

In the early hours of the morning, Smith gained access to a house through a window where he stole two car keys. Both of the vehicles were later spotted close to his home and the car keys were found in his pocket after his arrest.

Then at 7.15am, Smith and his accomplice entered a shop in Limbury Road and threatened a man with a screwdriver before taking the till and car keys. Smith and the other man were later identified on CCTV despite wearing face coverings.

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Later that day, Smith and his accomplice forced their way into a home in Rowelfield, and stole a handbag, an iPad and keys. The duo were caught on dashcam footage from the victim’s car parked on the drive.

Inside the address, police found the car key which linked Smith to the Carteret Road burglary a day previously.

Smith pleaded guilty to all of the charges, including five counts of burglary, at Luton Crown Court on Tuesday, June 30, and was sentenced to a total of ten-and-a-half years.

His accomplice awaits sentencing.

DC Jason Wheeler, who led the investigation, said: “Jason is regarded as a prolific burglar, and the judge considered him to be a career criminal, so I am glad he will now spend a significant time behind bars.

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"I hope Smith will spend his time reflecting on his actions, and I hope this lengthy sentence demonstrates that crime does not pay.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the excellent work of officers who helped me secure the CCTV footage.

"In these instance, CCTV was invaluable when building a case against Smith, and we were able to identify him quickly.

"Myself and the Op Maze team worked hard to piece together the evidence and pick up clues left by Smith at the scenes.

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“Burglary is a key priority for the force, and Op Maze ensures that such criminality won’t be tolerated. We continue to run dedicated operations to target those individuals who think this brazen behaviour in Bedfordshire is acceptable.

“We would also like to remind the public of the importance of keeping your home secure, and always double lock your doors and windows.

"Dashcam footage, CCTV and video doorbells helped us identify Smith quickly, so where possible, and if financially beneficial, invest in a CCTV system as it not only acts as a deterrent, it also helps an investigation.”