Asdrit Kapaj, a 42-year-old fish and chip shop owner from Manchester, was known to friends and neighbours as a hard-working family man and a pillar of the community. However, a court has heard that he is actually the 'Wimbledon Prowler', a prolific burglar who terrorised affluent areas of south-west London for a decade.
Kapaj pleaded guilty to 21 burglaries and two attempted burglaries, but police believe he was responsible for hundreds more, stealing cash, jewellery and other property worth an estimated £10 million. His targets included multi-million-pound homes near the All England Lawn Tennis Club, where he would enter through upper-floor windows using ladders or drainpipes while occupants slept.
He focused on cash and jewellery, often leaving no sign of forced entry, which led to cleaners and au-pairs being wrongly accused. Victims included tennis star Boris Becker and footballer Nicolas Anelka, who once chased Kapaj but was outrun.
Kapaj was caught red-handed in February wearing a snood and carrying a bag of tools. His wife, Radie, expressed shock during a court hearing, saying, 'There is just bread in the fridge,' suggesting she was unaware of the proceeds. It has since emerged that Kapaj had a secret gambling addiction, which likely consumed the stolen wealth.
