Bungling criminal caught with stolen sat-nav by police already inside Mansfield pawn shop

Officers from the Mansfield central neighbourhood policing team were called to a car break-in on High Oakham Road, on March 24, at about 9.45am.

A thief had stolen a camera and lenses, as well as a sat-nav and dash-cam, from a student who had parked at her boyfriend’s home.

As part of the investigation, officers attended a pawn shop on March 29 – and were inside the store when Lewis Langley walked in with a sat-nav for sale.

Langley was arrested and the sat-nav seized – and identified as the one taken in the raid on the car.

The 32-year-old was charged – and admitted receiving stolen goods when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.

Langley, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 30 weeks.

Sergeant Alice Bartle, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a fantastic bit of work by the neighbourhood team and I’m pleased Langley has been put behind bars.

“Officers carried out a diligent investigation and were able to catch him in the act of trying to sell on stolen goods.

“It demonstrates why we pursue stolen items and try to recover them for victims. It is always a great result when we are able to reunite victims with their belongings.

“This part of Mansfield has recently seen a spate of thefts from motor vehicles and I hope this provides reassurance to residents that we take reports seriously and work hard to catch offenders, recover stolen items and bring offenders to justice.”