A burglar and thief who raided an unsecured home was caught after leaving his fingerprints on a window frame.
Crime scene officers discovered the damning evidence while investigating a daylight break-in at a flat in Beech Avenue, New Basford.
Lukasz Furkak climbed in through an open window before stealing £1,170 worth of items, including a PlayStation 5, a Pulse headset, a rucksack containing a drone, and £200 in cash, which he took from a bedside table.
The forensic evidence was put through the National Fingerprint Database and matched the fingerprints of 40-year-old Furkak, who committed the burglary on 15 July 2025.
Furkak, who was subsequently arrested and charged, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday 6 May.
He pleaded guilty to the burglary, as well as to a theft on 2 August 2025 and an attempted theft just a day later.
In respect of the theft, the court heard that Furkak approached the counter at the Kaufland Mini Market in Berridge Road and demanded that a staff member open the till and give him £200.
He told her that if she did not give him the cash, then he would take it himself.
In a victim impact statement, she said she felt scared and feared he would return to the shop again.
The next day, Furkak entered the same store and demanded cash again but fled empty-handed when a different staff member hit the panic button.
Furkak, of Des Wilson Mews, Nottingham, was jailed for two years and seven and a half months.
Detective Constable Francesca Coombes, who led the investigation, said: “Burglary and theft are serious offences which can be deeply upsetting for the victims.
“The impact Furkak’s selfish actions had on the shop staff members was clear, with one of them being so fearful that she pressed the panic button, causing him to leave.
“Our enquiries led us to identify, locate, and arrest Furkak and put him before the courts.
“We hope that this serves as a warning to others that we will continue to take robust action against offenders like him and do everything we can to ensure they pay the price for their criminality.”
