A hapless burglar has been sentenced to prison after his DNA was discovered on cans of Red Bull he left behind at the scenes of pub burglaries in Nottingham.
CCTV footage captured Reece Wheat, 29, casually sipping the energy drink as he prowled around two pubs. The crook pocketed thousands of pounds in cash and valuables during his raids on both establishments. He even took a moment to enjoy his preferred energy drink before discarding the cans and making his getaway.
Forensic teams from the police collected DNA samples from the cans, which matched Wheat's profile on the national police database. This evidence linked him to the burglaries that occurred on November 28 and December 1 last year. Wheat was finally apprehended on December 12 after breaking into a third pub in the city.
He faced charges for three counts of burglary and two thefts from a shop in Nottingham city centre on October 26 last year. Whilst in custody, police connected Wheat to five additional burglaries at shops or businesses across Nottingham. These crimes all occurred between November 25 and December 11 last year, with Wheat pilfering cash, alcohol, and e-scooters.
Wheat, formerly of Ripley, Notts., pleaded guilty to all charges and received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence at Nottingham Magistrates' Court. PC Madison Hayes of Nottinghamshire Police said: 'Our officers always look for forensic opportunities when conducting inquiries at the scene of a crime. Unluckily for Reece Wheat, whilst conducting such checks at two locations he'd burgled, we found Red Bull cans he'd drank from and then discarded.'
