1 week Ago By [email protected] (Mark Naylor)
A crafty burglar who raided the bungalows of two women later desperately tried to talk his way out of trouble by making a "nonsense" claim that he had been sent there to do some genuine work for the occupiers. But his far-fetched story was quickly torpedoed when telltale splashes of blood were found at the bungalows that he targeted. He later failed to turn up at court but he was detained when he arrived back in this country at an airport after returning from abroad, Hull Crown Court heard.
Ionut Constantin, 37, formerly of Anlaby Road , west Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted offences of burglary on February 5 and attempted burglary on February 3. James O'Connor, prosecuting, said that a woman returned to her bungalow in Holme Road, Market Weighton, in the evening. A door was at the rear.
Casing around a lock was damaged and there was blood on the door. An outside light had been removed but entry had not been gained to her home. Constantin's blood was found at the scene.
Two days later, a woman returned to her bungalow in Ottringham Road, Keyingham, to find that it had been entered and an untidy search had been made. "The defendant's blood was found at the scene," said Mr O'Connor. Jewellery valued at £240 had been stolen.
"Some of the items were of sentimental value and were handed down by the family," said Mr O'Connor. Constantin failed to attend a previous court hearing on May 15 last year and a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He was arrested when he returned to the country at Leeds Bradford Airport.
He admitted an offence of drink-driving in De Grey Street, Hull, from March last year. A breath test reading revealed that he had 101mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
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Read our privacy notice here . Jane Rapin, mitigating, said that Constantin, a Romanian national, originally claimed that, at the time of the burglary and attempted burglary offences, he did not have a workplace and that he had been told to go to the two bungalows to do some legitimate work, to be paid in cash. But, at an earlier hearing, Judge Alexander Menary said: "That's a nonsense, saying that he went there to so some work and ended up committing the offences.
" Miss Rapin said that Constantin later accepted that he was not, at the time, engaged in legitimate employment. He had shown genuine remorse and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He wished that he could put things right for the home owners.
Constantin went abroad to attend a family funeral and that was the reason that he did not turn up for a previous court hearing. He was aware that he could face deportation. Constantin was jailed for 15 months.
He was banned from driving for 31-and-a-half months and he will have to pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again..
