A failed burglar who has previously told the court that he wants to put his life of crime behind him has been jailed for an attempted break-in in High Wycombe.

Gordon McKay, 40, of Heath End Road, was jailed for five months at Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 24 February.

The victims had been away from their house between October 28, 2021 and November 4, 2021. When they returned, they found their side gate was open, the garden shed had been broken into and that the patio door had been damaged.

Police discovered that McKay had attempted to break into the house using a spade in the shed after they found his DNA on the handle.

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After pleading guilty to attempted burglary with intent to steal, McKay was jailed for five months.

Bucks Free Press: McKay also failed in a break-in attempted in Heath End Road last yearMcKay also failed in a break-in attempted in Heath End Road last year

The bungling burglar is well known at Wycombe Magistrates’ Court and has made many appearances for past offences.

In April last year, McKay tried to break into a house in Flackwell Heath when he was foiled by a “nosy” neighbour who spotted him acting suspiciously.

When he appeared in court for that offence, McKay’s lawyer claimed that the offender was trying to put his life of crime behind him.

He said to the Magistrates: “We are at a crossroads with him. For the first time, he has expressed to us a desire to change and get out of that pattern of being reliant on illegal drugs.

“I think that is the first time that has happened in his adult life.”

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On that occasion, the justices gave McKay the benefit of the doubt, sparing him jail and handing him a community order.

This time around they were not so generous, sentencing him to five months behind bars.

Staff investigator, Victoria Rogers, of the Priority Crime Team, based at High Wycombe police station, said: “I would like to thank all those involved in the successful conviction of the offender, in particular the victims of this burglary who can be comforted by this successful outcome.

“I hope that this shows that Thames Valley Police will not tolerate burglary in our policing areas and will always work hard to prosecute the offenders who commit these heinous offences.”

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