Burglar left trail of cigarette butts

A BUNGLING drug addicted burglar was caught by police after he left a cigarette butt at the scene of every place he raided during a seven-week spree.
James Murphy, 39, who is of no fixed address, gave a family member's address in Buckland to Torbay magistrates and pleaded guilty to a three burglaries and also agreed to four other burglaries being taken into consideration.
Crown prosecutor Simon Jarvis explained two were at second homes in Thurlestone and East Portlemouth in the South Hams, while the third was at an isolated bungalow near Saltash.
Murphy also admitted breaking into two sheds just 40 yards from the house he robbed in East Portlemouth, breaking into another house in East Portlemouth which was 400 yards away, ransacking the dilapidated Palm Court Hotel on Torquay seafront and going back to the Saltash bungalow.
These offences were committed between July 16 and early September explained, Mr Jarvis.

The clerk of court explained a warrant had been issued for Murphy's arrest on September 4.
Mr Jarvis said: "These offences were committed to fund his drug habit, and it is something like seven offences in seven weeks."
The court heard fishing tackle, binoculars, torches, a £3,000 silver cutlery set, a home theatre system, a wrist watch, keys, a laptop computer, two mechanisms from grandfather clocks, three bottles of whiskey, a GPS system, a compass and four boat flares had been taken.
But mitigating, defence solicitor Andrew Cooper called his client 'extremely naive', adding: "He left DNA evidence behind him. I believe that on every occasion they found a cigarette butt with his DNA on it, and so it only required a computer check to find him."
He added that his client had nowhere to live after a relationship broke up and that essentially he was going from 'fix to fix.'
Chairman of the bench Syan Venton said: "We have decide that for these offences of burglary we are going to commit you to the crown court because these offences are so serious that you should receive greater punishment than we can issue, so you will be committed to Plymouth Crown Court."
Murphy was remanded into custody until October 23. The breach matter will be dealt with on November 20 and outstanding fines will dealt with on November 18.