Man jailed after leaving DNA at scene of Newcastle burglary

Police officers tracked down a Newcastle burglar after finding his DNA at a Tyneside shop which he stole a bike from.

On the evening of April 22 last year, prolific criminal Ian Hall, also known by the nickname ‘Chicken’, targeted a bike shop in the Saint Mark’s area of Byker.

Hall broke through a padlock to get into the premises before stealing a £6,000 bike.

Officers began an investigation and another bike which was left at the scene was found to have DNA from his hands on its handlebars.

The 37-year-old returned to the same shop on the evening of May 1, where he used a crowbar to break through metal shutters, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

On that occasion Hall failed to get inside and left the area empty-handed.Hall was arrested on May 2 and charged with a string of offences, including stealing led from the roof of listed building in Wallsend in North Tyneside in August 2023 and stealing lead frames from the roof of a garage a month later.

He was also charged in relation to the theft of cable from an engineering company in the same area, in November 2023.

He admitted multiple counts of burglary, a count of attempted burglary, and one count of theft.

At Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, January 7, Hall, of Fossway, in Walker, was jailed for a total of 32 months for the offences.

Inspector Craig Patchett, of Northumbria Police’s Byker Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: “This is an excellent result for us and Hall is now rightly serving a sentence behind bars for his actions.

“Hall has been a menace to society in recent times and we’re glad that he has been identified, charged and convicted of these offences.

“We understand that burglary and theft are invasive crimes which can have a significant impact on victims and are committed to delivering robust action and effective justice against any offenders detected in our region.”

Insp Patchett added: “We would ask that those in our communities continue to work with us in helping to prevent crime.

“Figures from last month show that potentially as many as 26 per cent of all burglary offences in the Newcastle area involved vehicles or properties being left unlocked.

“Please always ensure that your cars, homes and businesses are secure when leaving them and just as importantly, that any valuables are kept out of sight.

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“Often criminals will try handles to a vehicle or property and when they find them locked, simply move on elsewhere.

“If you do see anything suspicious in your area, please contact us immediately so that we can take the appropriate action.

“Remember, we are here for you.”