An opportunist burglar was betrayed by his distinctive choice of headgear after stealing a car from outside a house in Arnold.
Colin Jeffery now aged 62, was spotted on CCTV shortly before he entered a property on Furlong Street on the morning of 25 July 2022.
After walking in through an open door, he stole a set of keys before driving off a Ford Ka parked outside.
Detectives examined footage from local CCTV cameras and soon found an image of a man walking with what appeared to be a set of keys in his hand.
Footage taken from another camera showed the same man parking up and abandoning the vehicle in a nearby car park.
Jeffery, who has a history of theft and similar offences, was identified by officers who noticed the distinctive beret-style hat he uses to conceal his long hair.
After his arrest he answered no comment to all questions posed to him by officers, but later pleaded guilty to one count of burglary.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday 23 June, Jeffery, of Rushworth Close St Ann’s, was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years.
That means if he commits any further offences during this time he will go immediately to jail.
Financial investigator Harry Houlding, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Jeffery is a very distinctive character who was soon identified by the beret style hat he uses to cover his long hair.
“The evidence against him was overwhelming – leaving him with no choice but to plead guilty before the scheduled start of his trial.
“Whilst he may have avoided an immediate spell in custody, he is under no illusion of what the consequences will be for him if he chooses to behave in a similar way in the future.”
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