Black Country News: Tools burglar jailed; CRADLEY.

A MAN who got away with a burglary for six years before being caught out when he gave police a blood sample in a routine inquiry has been jailed for six months.

Graham Morgan left blood at the scene when he raided his employer's garden centre, in Cradley Heath, Paul Reid, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Investigating police officers checked the blood with DNA files but there was nothing on record to identify the culprit.

But six years later Morgan was asked to co-operate in an inquiry and when he provided a blood sample it was found to match.

Morgan, a man of previous good character, of Two Gates, Cradley, admitted stealing power tools and other property valued at a total of pounds 3,529 from the garden centre run by pensioner Donald Southall.

The court heard he used his key to gain access to the premises. He later cut a wire fence to make it look as though it had been used by the raiders but cut his hand badly in the process.

Anthony Johnston, defending, said at the time of the offence Morgan had escalating debts.

"He tried to overcome them," he said.

Morgan was told by Recorder Jonathan Gosling: "This was a terrible breach of trust against a man you had worked with for ten years."