Crack addict jailed for student house break-in

He stole a girl’s laptop while she slept


A local man has been jailed for two years and five months, after being found guilty of the recent burglary of a student house in Cotham.

Simeon Garton, 22, broke into a student house on 18 September and nicked a bike and a laptop.

He was responsible for one of five student house burglaries that swept Cotham in September.

Amy, Jess and Dave’s Cotham house was burgled by another criminal around the same time

The students only realised what had happened in the morning, when they woke up to find their front door wide open.

Police found Garton’s fingerprints in one of the girls’ bedrooms where the laptop had been.

The crack addict was also sent down for two break-ins earlier this year.

Police liaison officer Nick Boyce has been warning students how to prevent their homes from being broken into.

“It’s a pretty miserable message to give out but the fact is, the average student house is a burglar’s dream.

“Not only does a shared house potentially mean several phones, laptops and bikes, but they are often just not secure: one in five burglars walks straight in through an open or unsecured door or window.”

Cops are urging students to register their valuables online and to contact them if they have any safety concerns.