Peanut butter burglar caught after gherkin binge in Cheltenham
HUNGRY burglar Luke Goodhall was caught after getting a taste for peanut butter and gherkins.
The prolific offender helped himself to the unusual food selection while raiding an Australian couple's flat in Cheltenham – leaving his fingerprints on the jars.
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Luke Goodhall
Goodhall, 25, whose past offences include slaughtering a pensioner's beloved pigeons, stealing a ferret and taking a taxi for a joy ride, admitted burgling the flat in Winchcombe Street, and stealing two coats, a pair of sunglasses, a pair of spectacles and £3 cash.
Recorder Stephen Hall QC said the offence justified an immediate jail term, but he had decided to give Goodhall a chance – even though a probation officer's assessment was that he presented a "high risk of re-offending".
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The Recorder at Gloucester Crown Court said he appreciated the burglary was committed by Goodhall only a short time after he finished his last prison term for taking a taxi for a joyride.
But he said he had read a letter from Goodhall which gave some hope for the future.
"You say that you feel things are changing and you feel you have some hope you might be able to drag yourself out of this cycle of offending," he said.
He placed Goodhall on supervision for two years with a nightly curfew between 8pm and 7am for three months.
He also ordered Goodhall to report weekly to the probation officer, and to undergo regular sessions to address his drug and drink problems.
He will also have to attend the Reach project three days every week to do voluntary work – and he will have to return to the crown court once a month for a public review of his progress.
Prosecutor Lisa Hennessy said the flat Goodhall burgled was being rented by Stephen Dexter and his wife – an Australian couple on an extended holiday to Britain and Europe.
They returned from a trip to Italy on May 23 to find the lights on and "a lot of mess in the dining and kitchen area".
"Food had been taken out of the cupboards and left on worktops or tipped on the floor," she said.
"A jar of peanut butter, a tin of soup and a jar of gherkins had been consumed.
"Fingerprints were found on the gherkin and peanut butter jars and they matched Goodhall's."
Goodhall intially denied the burglary and claimed his prints could have got onto the jars when he handled them while they were on display in the local Tesco's.
He had been in custody on remand for 98 days since his arrest on June 7.
Comments
by bonzaharris1
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 5:18PM
“Yes Racoon it is, they do not deserve ill wished upon them. However if Stephen Hall ever gets burgled by Goodhall, or anyone else for that matter. He will then know how devasting it is to have your home broken into, your safe haven violated. Then perhaps then he will understand the importance of a prison sentence for scumbags like Goodhall.”
by Raccoon
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 5:00PM
“TimMessanger, that's horribly unfair to the innocent people who are related to Stephen Hall or the innocent pets of the above.”
by Bob_Flaps
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 4:33PM
“He is a rat faced little spud isn't he? Not that it matters, his 'special friend' in prison will only see the back of his head...”
by IsitJimKerr
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 1:58PM
“disco2disco....................you miss the basic point that prison is no longer a deterrent.
It's like Butlins, only the food's betterin prison!
The judiciary have been told to stop sending @r$£h0l£$ like this to prison because it costs too much. Well, Sky subs, internet, computers, games consoles all adds to the cost.
A concrete cell, and a light bulb would only cost pennies, and if they didn't mis-behave, they could actually have the light ON!”
by TimMessanger
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 12:15PM
“Recorder Stephen Hall QC I hope his next victim is a member of your family or one of their pets!”
by disco2disco
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 8:08PM
“cdotd: you forgot to mention the defendant's family and/or friends posting saying that the defendant is a very nice law abiding person and the court has got it all wrong, the evidence has been fabricated and they have been framed, etc, etc, etc.
Perhaps the reason so many people post making those comments regarding broken Britain, etc is because so many people feel that the punishments do not merit the crimes committed.
In this case, a person has recently come out of prison, re-offended pretty much straight away, did not own up to the crime he had committed, and the judge decides the best punishment for the man is one that is less than what he received for his previous crime! This despite the fact another expert says the risk of re-offending is high!
Now, you or others, will say obviously prison did not act as a deterrent otherwise he wouldn't have re-offended. Well perhaps he would be a little more scared of prison if it was a prison and not a holiday camp.
And by the way somehow in this country we have got it the wrong way around regarding sentences. A 10 year sentence should be just that, a 10 year sentence. Good behavior means they get out after 10 years not after 5. And if they misbehave they should get another 50% added on not taken off their sentence.”
by Jimmy231
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 7:48PM
“What a complete aunt.
Oops, not aunt...stupid predictive text.”
by Haw_Haw
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 6:29PM
“Coming soon…
Prolific burglar gets 3 years for raiding judge's daughter's flat
heh heh !
Actually, in all seriousness, one does not wish to criticise the Recorder's sentence as that is contempt of court you know, and a cleaning living Lord could easily find himself in the slammer for just that.
It's a funny old world when the innocent fear the law more than the miscreant, what !”
by LuceilleP
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 6:22PM
“I wonder if QC Stephen Hall would have let the scumbag walk free if it had of been his house that was burgled. I think not. The police go to all that effort only for a stupid judge to be swayed by some pity letter. Pathetic!”
by bonzaharris1
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 5:03PM
“"You say that you feel things are changing and you feel you have some hope you might be able to drag yourself out of this cycle of offending," he said.
What would have dragged him out of his cycle of offending, would have been a nice long prison sentence. It may have only broken the cycle while he was "banged up", because he doesn't appear to be able to help himself, well apart from to other peoples property. But at least the streets of Cheltenham would be as bit safer for the duration. This espcially as a probation officer's assessment was that he presented a "high risk of re-offending". Looking at his list of previous convictions, it not difficult to see what a vile excuse for a human being that he is. Not sure what was in the letter that gave hope, but I would think if the Recorder Stephen Hall were to take out a bet at Ladbrokes on Goodhall going straight, the only winner would be Ladbrokes !!”