Police say ‘communities will be safer’ as prolific Peterborough burglar jailed

A prolific Peterborough burglar has been jailed for four years after he left footprints at the crime scene.
Daniel BladesDaniel Blades
Daniel Blades

Daniel Blades, 33, smashed his way into a home in Nottingham Way, Dogsthorpe, on 27 November 2019 before stealing several bottles of aftershave.

Two days later, he was arrested at his home in Parnwell where police found the stolen aftershave.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A pair of Nike Air Force One trainers found in his home were seized for examination and later forensically matched to a footprint left at the house in Dogsthorpe.

While on bail but remaining under investigation for burglary, on 29 August last year (2020), Blades was the driver of a BMW 120 suspected of speeding by road policing officers on patrol in the Oxney Road area of Peterborough.

Officers activated their blue lights and signalled for the BMW to pull over, which it initially did in a dead end of St Michael’s Gate, allowing the police car to pull up alongside it to speak with the driver.

Blades had other ideas and quickly but his car into reverse and spun round in attempt to make off, however the quick-thinking officers managed to block him in.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Unhappy with not being able to act quick enough, Blades rammed the side of the police car, causing £2,000 to £3,000 worth of damage, before speeding off back towards Oxney Road.

The marked car caught up with the BMW which had collided with a lamppost in Saltersgate, however Blades was nowhere to be seen.

Forensic examination of the vehicle returned DNA matches to Blades who was arrested on 12 October last year for criminal damage and dangerous driving.

He was charged and remanded to appear in court the following day, but was later released on bail by magistrates.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The following day, on 14 October, Blades went on to commit another burglary, this time in Foxcovert Road in Werrington.

The victim, a man in is 40s, arrived home at about 1.30pm when he saw a bicycle propped up against a wall of his house before seeing Blades climbing out a front window, carrying a full pillowcase.

On seeing the victim, Blades dropped the pillowcase which was full of items he’d stolen from inside the home, and made off on his bike.

CCTV footage captured Blades in the act, resulting in his arrest the following afternoon.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Blades, of Meadenvale in Parnwell, admitted two charges of burglary, but denied criminal damage to a police vehicle and dangerous driving, however he was found guilty of both offences following a trial earlier this year.

He appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday (30 July) where he was sentenced to a total of four years in prison and was disqualified from driving for four years.

DS Justin Parr, from the northern Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “Blades is a prolific criminal who has 14 convictions for 23 offences against his name, at the age of 33.

“Having him behind bars for the next couple of years will make our communities a safer place.”