A prolific burglar was caught after his blood was discovered at a house he’d broken into in Mapperley.
Mark Martindale cut himself while carrying out two burglaries after smashing a window to get inside.
Martindale, who sold the items he stole so that he could buy drugs with the money, was caught after police forensic teams linked him to both offences.
Martindale, of Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green, used a brick to smash a garage window during a break in at a house in Lucknow Avenue, Mapperley Park, on February 8, 2022.
After climbing through the window and cutting himself on the glass, Martindale left a blood smear on the door frame, before fleeing the scene without taking anything after the burglar alarm was set off.
Martindale then stole around £750 worth of items, including bottles of spirits, during a second burglary just four days later (12 February 2022), at a house in Montpelier Road, Dunkirk.
He sold all the items he’d taken from the house to a drug dealer.
Once again, Martindale smashed his way into the property, this time by breaking a conservatory window and a glass sliding door, but also managed to cut himself in the process.
Police forensic teams were able to track Martindale down based on the blood stains left at the scene.
He then admitted to carrying out the burglaries.
Before sentencing, Martindale contacted the Police Prison Liaison Officer and said he also wanted to ‘own up’ to four more burglaries he had committed.
Martindale appeared before Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (25 March 2022), where he was jailed for four years and four months.
Detective Constable Colin Kirkup, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The force takes all incidents of burglary extremely seriously, with our officers working hard to ensure we’re able to catch those who commit this invasive crime.
“It’s vital that we’re able to bring offenders to justice and show the public how committed we are as a force to reducing burglaries.
“Martindale has done the right thing by owning up to the other burglaries and helping bring closure to his victims.
“He is now working towards turning his life around.”
