Burglar jailed after fleeing empty-handed when homeowner woke up

A Luton man who burgled a house in Bedford but fled when the homeowner awoke has been jailed.

In the early hours of 28 June last year, police were called to an address near Bedford Town Centre following a report of a burglary.

Officers attended the scene and heard how the elderly resident had gone to bed earlier in the evening and awoke to hear footsteps on the stairs and then realised there was someone at the end of the bed.

The terrified victim screamed and the burglar, 30-year-old Kamran Uddin, fled empty-handed.

But as he did so, his image was captured on a nearby CCTV camera and when police published the photograph asking for the public’s help in identifying him, Uddin handed himself in.

During the investigation, officers were able to link Uddin to a second burglary a few days before, where he had broken into a flat in Bedford but left empty-handed once again.

On Thursday 11 December, at Luton Crown Court, Uddin, of Wardown Crescent, Luton was ordered to serve concurrent sentences of two years and six months for each count of burglary, as well as a consecutive sentence of 18 months for breach of a restraining order in an unrelated case. A total custodial sentence of four years.

Detective Constable Andy Boston, of Bedfordshire Police’s specialist residential burglary unit, Operation Maze, said: “I am really pleased that Uddin will be behind bars for a lengthy period. This was a horrifying experience for the victim and has left them deeply shaken and upset.

“Operation Maze is dedicated to tackling and investigating residential burglaries, ensuring a police officer attends every report.

“This particular case shows the value of CCTV and why we make public appeals for information. Even though the material we had was not the clearest, when we made it public it was enough to force Uddin to hand himself in.”