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Aging home burglar with 44 earlier convictions is jailed once more after climbing a roof and getting caught whereas attempting to flee police

A prolific house burglar has been jailed again after getting trapped on a house roof while trying to escape from police.

Officers spent forty minutes waiting for Winston Allen, 59, to realise he had no escape route as he prowled around the top of the Cheltenham home.

He had thrown some of the stolen items into a nearby garden but still had with him a silver Rolex watch and some earrings when he was caught on the night of November 5.

Allen, of High Street, Cheltenham, already had more than 120 offences and 44 convictions and admitted carrying out another raid on a nearby home that evening.

He was jailed for two years and four months at Gloucester Crown Court.

His latest victim was out of the country at the time of the break-in but was alerted when Allen set off a burglar alarm at the house in Leckhampton.

The alert was sent to the owner who watched on his phone as Allen, carrying a torch. ransacked his house.

Police arrived and entered the home as Allen ran through the back door and began hauling himself up to the roof of the house next door.

Winston Allen, 59, pictured, spent forty minutes attempting to flee from the police as he stood on the roof of the Cheltenham home

Winston Allen, 59, pictured, spent forty minutes attempting to flee from the police as he stood on the roof of the Cheltenham home

He threw some of the stolen items into a nearby garden but still had with him a silver Rolex watch and earrings when he eventually clambered down on November 5

He threw some of the stolen items into a nearby garden but still had with him a silver Rolex watch and earrings when he eventually clambered down on November 5

Footage caught on body-worn cameras shows officers surrounding the property shouting at Allen to give himself up as torches were shone on the burglar

Footage caught on body-worn cameras shows officers surrounding the property shouting at Allen to give himself up as torches were shone on the burglar

He stayed prowling around for 40 minutes while bemused officers looked on.

Footage caught on body-worn cameras shows officers surrounding the property shouting at Allen to give himself up as torches were shone on the burglar.

In custody, he had a gold chain and earrings which were later identified by the victim as having come from within their house. 

He was also found to have a silver Rolex which was later identified as belonging to the property burgled earlier that night.

Investigating officer PC Sheer from the Cheltenham Vanguard Team said: ‘Being burgled can have a devastating impact on victims leaving them feeling vulnerable in their own homes.

‘It is hoped that Allen’s arrest, charge and sentencing shows how dedicated we are to taking burglars off the streets and helping to ensure the residents of Cheltenham’s homes are safe.’

The 59-year-old was sentenced to two years and four months in prison as well as ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

He eventually climbed down from the roof, after which he was arrested by police

He eventually climbed down from the roof, after which he was arrested by police

In custody, he had a gold chain and earrings which were later identified by the victim as having come from within their house

In custody, he had a gold chain and earrings which were later identified by the victim as having come from within their house

He was also found to have a silver Rolex which was later identified as belonging to the property burgled earlier that night

He was also found to have a silver Rolex which was later identified as belonging to the property burgled earlier that night

An earring found in situ on the roof of the burgled property

An earring found in situ on the roof of the burgled property

 In 2022, Allen was described as ‘beyond hope’ by a judge who jailed him for three years and nine months after he admitted two burglaries in Cheltenham.

At the time, he had already been convicted 44 times for 121 offences, 21 of those being for burglary, GloucestershireLive reports.

‘You are an entrenched burglar with a pattern of offending that has been carried out over the years,’ Judge Lawrie old him.

‘You’ve had various long spells in custody, but this deterrent is obviously not working. Your youngest child would benefit from you being at home, but this is not going to happen for a while.’

On January 16 the 59-year-old was sent back to jail again and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.