Burglar caught after falling asleep in stolen car

A burglar who was found asleep in a car he had stolen just days earlier has been jailed for more than four years.

Wayne Smith was spotted napping in a red Skoda Fabia with the engine still running, five days after he had taken the vehicle from a property in the Crookes area of Sheffield.

The 46-year-old, of Raisen Hall in Sheffield, was arrested on 24 September by officers who also found a large knife within the vehicle.

Smith was jailed after pleading guilty to burglary dwelling and theft, theft of a motor vehicle, attempt burglary, possessing a knife in a public place and going equipped for burglary.

He was sentenced to four years and three months in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on 15 January, although police have only just released details of the hearing.

Det Sgt Tom Jordan said: "Wayne Smith posed an obvious risk to the community of Sheffield by choosing to carry a knife on top of his brazen offending and I'm pleased he will now be spending a significant amount of time behind bars.

"Burglary has a long lasting impact on victims and we work hard every single day to identify offenders, link incidents together, and bring those responsible to justice."

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