Drunk Peterborough burglar tried to steal 'wrong car' after raiding city home

A drunk burglar walked into a home and stole car keys but couldn’t find the vehicle they were for outside.

Jamie Lanigan, 36, got into the property in Sheepwalk, Paston, Peterborough, through an unlocked front door at just after midnight on Sunday (9 October).

The victim, a 47-year-old woman, was woken up and saw Lanigan as he was leaving.

As she called 999, Lanigan walked along the street trying car door handles until he found one that was left unlocked, but not the one he had keys for.

He got in and searched for anything worth taking before yanking out the stereo, breaking off the connecting wires and throwing it into a bush.

Officers found Lanigan in the car. In interview, he claimed he had wanted to sleep in the car and said he could not remember removing the stereo as he was drunk and had taken drugs.

Lanigan, of Sheepwalk, Paston, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday where he was jailed for 10 months, having pleaded guilty to vehicle interference and burglary. He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation.

PC Cashman said “Lanigan showed a complete disregard for the law and chose to enter a stranger’s house on the street he lived on.

“Burglary can have devastating and long-lasting effects on victims and it is a force priority to catch offenders and put them before the courts.

“This case is also a reminder to all residents that it is so important to lock your car and home at night.”