A burglar who was captured trying to conceal his face on a doorbell camera has been jailed for a series of break-ins.
John McSalley was caught on camera scoping out a property in Seymour Road, Hucknall, around 5pm on 25 January 2026.
Ten minutes later a woman returned to her home, in nearby Watnall Road, and discovered the property had been broken into.
The victim found multiple items of jewellery and cash were missing and an investigation was launched.
Detectives were able to identify McSalley as the offender by piecing together his movements from CCTV and doorbell footage.
Following his arrest on 5 February, it was discovered McSalley was also responsible for a further burglary and attempted break-in on 3 February.
He broke into a property, also in Seymour Road, and fled after being confronted by a resident.
McSalley was then observed trying a door handle in Salterford Road and again ran from the scene after being approached.
The 42-year-old, of Astral Grove, Hucknall, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and two of attempted burglary.
At Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday (22 April) he was jailed for a total of four years.
He has a number of previous convictions for acquisitive crimes like burglary and shoplifting.
Detective Sergeant Adam Penn, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“McSalley is a persistent thief and was clearly trying his luck in this area.
“He broke into two properties – with one resident coming face-to-face with him and another returning home to discover her private place had been violated and personal items stolen.
“He also attempted to break into two further addresses and would no doubt have been looking to steal if he had been successful.
“The force has teams of detectives investigating burglaries because of the impact we know they have on victims.”
