Prolific burglar who stole £240 bike from Cambridge shed caught after leaving bloodied bandage at scene

A burglar who stole a bike from a shed in Cambridge was caught after leaving behind a bloodied bandage.

Daniel Grix, 46, of Rouen Road, Norwich, targeted the property in Lovell Road in the early hours of 5 November.

The homeowner was woken by a loud thud at about 5.30am, and went downstairs to discover the bottom glass panel of her door had been smashed in.

She realised a bike lock was on the garden path and her £240 bike, which she normally stored in the shed, had been stolen.

She found a bloodied bandage in front of the garden shed and used gloves to move it inside the shed. Forensic checks on the bandage revealed a DNA match to Grix, and he was arrested on 9 December.

He answered no comment to all questions, but later admitted one count of burglary in relation to the bike.

Jurors found him not guilty of the attempted burglary of the house.

Grix has previous convictions relating to 26 other burglaries and was sentenced to eight months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court last Thursday (11 July).

PC Sam Chapman, who investigated, said: “Waking up to find yourself a victim of burglary is the stuff of nightmares. Grix showed a complete lack of regard for the people living at the house he targeted.

“Thanks to the vital work of our forensics teams, and the eagle-eyed homeowner who spotted the bandage, we were able to place him at the scene and link him to the crime.

“Burglary can have a devastating impact on victims, which is why tackling it is one of our priorities. As this case highlights, we are working hard every day to bring offenders before the courts."

For burglary prevention advice, visit the force’s dedicated web pages.