Burglar who cooked and took a bath during Chatham break-in is jailed for four years

A BURGLAR who cooked and took a bath during a break-in at a Chatham house has been jailed for nearly four years.

Andrew Cushman, 40, broke into a shed and a house in Magpie Hall Road on 20 October last year, leaving needles lying around and trashing the house.

A resident in the road noticed his shed had been left open and after discovering a credit card in the name of Andrew Cushman, he phoned police.

Later that day, another Magpie Hall Road resident returned to her house to find her house had been burgled.

The house was trashed, food had been eaten and the microwave had been used. The burglar also decided to take a bath. Needles were left around the house - including one in a child's cot.

Cushman was seen leaving the house by a neighbour, and when he went to take a look at the house, Cushman punched the neighbour in the side of the head.

The man hit him back before running into the property to check if the occupant and her children were in and Cushman ran off.

Cushman denied the offences but was sentenced to three years and nine months for two burglaries after being found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 13 May.

He was also sentenced to two months for common assault to run concurrently.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Steve Day of Kent Police, said: "Cushman is a prolific career criminal with numerous convictions for burglary dwellings.

"He has had a significant impact on people's lives in the past with his criminal offending and in this case, entering a property and leaving needles around the house, including in a child's bed, is beyond contempt.

"This sentence should send a clear message out to burglary offenders in Medway that criminals will be dealt with robustly and that Kent Police will do everything in its power to make the public feel safe in their homes."