Burglary left school counting the costs

A burglar targeted a Walsall secondary school, costing it £5,000 in stolen computers and damage, a court heard.

Shane Field, from Walsall, was told by a district judge that he had preyed on vulnerable members of the community by stealing from Frank F Harrison Engineering College in Leamore Lane, Bloxwich, two weeks ago.

District judge Michael Morris ordered the 20-year-old, who admitted burglary, to be sentenced at crown court due to the serious nature of the crime.

Miss Val Hart, prosecuting, said Field had been caught with an accomplice trying to flee Frank F Harrison at 12.30am on October 24, having stacked up three computer monitors and a hard drive unit outside.

The pair had damaged an external door and several internal doors as they forced their way into the school. The damage and theft is said to have cost the school £5,000.

Police came to the school when the alarms were activated and arrested the pair.

Miss Hart said: "Two classrooms had their doors forced open to steal property from within.

"Mr Field was interviewed and made no comment in that interview."

Field was due to be sentenced yesterday but he did not turn up for an appointment with probation services to compile a pre-sentence report last month, so the sentencing could not be dealt with.

Mrs Hina Paw, defending, said Field had missed his appointment because he had a job interview, from which he had secured work.

District Judge Michael Morris, sitting at Walsall Magistrates Court, said: "In terms of vulnerable community groups, this is a school. Nothing could be worse."

He committed him to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on November 29.

He was given bail with the condition of a curfew between 10pm and 6am.

His accomplice Brian Maughan, aged 20, of Malkit Close in Bentley, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison for the offence when he came before the courts last month.