Burglar sentenced to more than three years in prison

A 44-year-old man who admitted a string of burglary offences and assaulting a police officer has been jailed.

Earlier this month (August 6), Scott Foran, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court to three years and nine months’ imprisonment.

At a previous court appearance, Foran pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted burglary and one count of burglary, which occurred at Northampton residential addresses, and one count of assaulting a police officer by beating.

The court heard that Foran was arrested in the early hours of December 28 last year, after he was disturbed attempting to break into a house in Quernstone Lane, Northampton, shortly before 12.30am.

Foran ran off but was found in Thornhill by Northamptonshire Police armed response officers, who recovered items, including a blue mountain bike and red Samsung mobile phone, which had been stolen from a burglary at a nearby house.

While he was being arrested on suspicion of burglary, Foran headbutted a police officer in the chest, and was further detained for assaulting an emergency worker.

Foran was subsequently charged with one count of burglary and three attempted burglaries, after CCTV footage linked him to two further offences which occurred in Birchfield Road East, Northampton on December 1.

The footage showed Foran entering two gardens. He tried the rear door handle at one of the addresses and broke into a shed at the second property, causing damage to the wooden door and fence panel.

Temporary Detective Constable Shannon Mellish of the Force’s Burglary Team, who lead the investigation said: “Scott Foran is a prolific burglar, and I have no doubt, if it wasn’t for the swift actions of the armed response officers that he would have continued to cause further misery to the residents of Northampton.

“Through Operation Crooked, we are fully committed to reducing burglaries and will continue acting on information provided to take robust action towards offenders and spare residents the anguish of being a victim of burglary.”

Operation Crooked is Northamptonshire Police’s campaign to reduce burglary. Further details on burglary prevention advice are available on our website.