Milk carton helped police catch burglar who broke into Hastings cafe

Police have revealed how they used a left over milk carton to track down a burglar who broke into a cafe in Hastings in East Sussex.

Jake Finn, 22, unemployed, of Dymchurch Road in Hythe, Kent, was sentenced to 26 weeks for breaking in to Cafe Royale in Castle Street on 7 September.

Police were called to the scene early in the morning found entry had been forced into the premises causing damage to a door, and the till and tip box containing around £300 was taken from inside.

Viewing the cafe’s CCTV, officers saw a man entering the cafe with a carton of milk, which he put down while trying to remove the till, and then left behind at the scene.

The bottle was forensically examined and proved a DNA match for Finn. He was arrested and charged with burglary other than dwelling with intent to steal. He was also charged with two counts of theft in relation to alcohol being stolen from the Jempson’s supermarket in Peasmarsh on September 10.

He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison for the burglary, and one week for each shoplifting offence to run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay £300 in compensation.

Inspector Aidan Cornwall, of the Hastings Neighbourhood Policing team, said: “We understand the emotional and financial impact burglary has on individuals and businesses, and we are committed to finding those responsible for committing such crimes.

“This is the second Hastings burglary conviction in as many weeks thanks to the fantastic work of our Crime Scene Investigators, who will always follow-up on opportunities for forensic evidence.

"In this case, the DNA our investigators found proved vital in identifying a suspect and securing a conviction at court.

“We continue to thoroughly investigate reports of residential and commercial burglary in our community and urge people to get in touch if they see or hear of any suspicious behaviour.”