0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cash, our cars, our valuables -
0:00:05 > 0:00:07just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13But now, the police are using cutting-edge technology to catch the bad guys.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15We want to make sure we've got a concrete case.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Enough evidence to convict at court.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Local councils, shops and businesses are fighting crime
0:00:21 > 0:00:23with their own tricks and traps.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27It is just unbelievable that she thinks she can get away with this.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29And the public are using secret cameras...
0:00:29 > 0:00:32to make sure the crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Fair means or foul, I was going to get rid of him.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36I thought, "We've got her!"
0:00:36 > 0:00:40And I was so happy! Thank God!
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So anyone who is up to no good had better think twice,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47they might just get Caught Red Handed.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Today...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Just a few days after Sylvia has had to cope with the funeral
0:00:55 > 0:00:57of her beloved husband, Tony,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59her peace of mind is further shattered
0:00:59 > 0:01:02when a burglar makes off with her valuables,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05in the bag which had contained her husband's ashes.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09I would have thought even a thief would have felt some remorse.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13He must have realised that whoever lived there was grieving.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15He was quite prepared to remove the ashes
0:01:15 > 0:01:18and use the bag to take away the stolen goods.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21But this burglar may come to share Sylvia's view,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24that her husband's spirit is watching over that bag
0:01:24 > 0:01:26and over Sylvia, too.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29Also today...
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Printing business owner Kevin cannot believe it
0:01:32 > 0:01:34when he discovers an intruder has crept in
0:01:34 > 0:01:38and stolen valuable equipment from right under his nose.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41It was brazen. It's daylight robbery.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44They were just metres away, really. I felt sick.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47But Kevin doesn't get mad, he gets printing.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51This slippery customer is about to become the poster boy
0:01:51 > 0:01:53in a catch-a-thief campaign.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Also later...
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Proving there is no art in thievery,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03this chap struggles to steal a portrait that is bigger than he is.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05But he has been framed himself,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and he has missed the best picture of all -
0:02:08 > 0:02:10the one this camera is taking of him.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20There is no such thing as sentimental value to a burglar.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23They see people's cherished belongings, like jewellery,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27medals and ornaments, purely as pounds and pence.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31But to their unlucky victims, the loss can be heartbreaking.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39On the outskirts of Doncaster in South Yorkshire,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Sylvia lives in her bungalow.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46She came to the area with her husband, Tony, in 2014.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50But sadly, three years later, after suffering a series of illnesses,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Tony passed away.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Sylvia and Tony met in 1976.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I needed to find a little bit of extra money,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02so I had been offered a job doing a bit of bar-maiding on a night
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and I met Tony, because he came into the pub.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09He was a really pleasant person and it just progressed from there.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11We just could not imagine life without each other.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Tony worked in the prison service, but after he retired,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20his health started to deteriorate rapidly.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23He fought heart disease and cancer for over a decade
0:03:23 > 0:03:27and defied the odds until he reached the age of 79.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28In the end, they actually told him...
0:03:29 > 0:03:32..we can't do any more for you.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34And you know what he did?
0:03:34 > 0:03:37He shook the doctor's hand and said, "Thank you, Doctor."
0:03:38 > 0:03:42He died at home and it was very peaceful in the end.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48Sylvia and her daughters made sure Tony got the wonderful send-off he deserved.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50We said, we want everybody to laugh.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52We are going to celebrate his life,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55because he had a big life and he had lots of people in it.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And it was absolutely fantastic.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Sylvia collected Tony's ashes a few days after the service
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and took them home.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05She decided to keep them in a bag by her bed
0:04:05 > 0:04:08until she could build a memorial to him in the garden.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12It's like having Tony back home again.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15So, every night, I used to take him out of the bag.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I used to put him on the bedside table, at his side of the bed,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19and I'd have a right chat to him.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21People think you shouldn't be talking to a dead person,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25but it helps you to get over the initial stage
0:04:25 > 0:04:26of losing your partner.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30But just a week after bringing Tony's ashes home,
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Sylvia faces further heartbreak, when a burglar targets her bungalow.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39What he takes, and the way he takes it, adds greatly to her grief.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46It is a Sunday afternoon in the summer
0:04:46 > 0:04:50and Sylvia is arriving home after visiting an Open Gardens event,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53looking for ideas for Tony's memorial.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58I came in and I thought, I'll take my shoes and coat off.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00She goes to her bedroom.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03As I opened the bedroom door, the first thing that hit me was,
0:05:03 > 0:05:04how cold it was.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It was like opening the door to a freezer.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10And I looked and I thought, "Where's my window?"
0:05:10 > 0:05:14And I also saw, on the floor, was a jewellery box
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and I just thought, "I've been burgled!"
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It was quite... I don't know.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Somebody had invaded my home and I felt really vulnerable.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Sylvia phones 999 and walks to a neighbour's house to wait for the police to arrive.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34This police officer came and she said, "Right", she said,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37"I'll go with you, we'll have a look in the bedroom
0:05:37 > 0:05:41"and if you can just explain to me what you think has happened."
0:05:41 > 0:05:43And as I walked in, I went, "Oh...
0:05:44 > 0:05:45"..is my husband's wallet still there?"
0:05:45 > 0:05:48There was about £400 in it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50And she said, "Which drawer?" And I said, "The middle one."
0:05:50 > 0:05:51And she opened it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54And she had a look, she said, "There's no wallet in here."
0:05:54 > 0:05:55That was the worst thing, really,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59because that wallet had been Tony's wallet for years.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Some of Sylvia's jewellery has also been stolen.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Then I remembered I had the cameras.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09And I said to them, "I've also got CCTV cameras."
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Tony had arranged for high-spec security cameras to be installed
0:06:12 > 0:06:14when they first moved in.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Sylvia and the police officers view the recorded footage.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20We just sat watching it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22And it was like...
0:06:22 > 0:06:26He just took his time. Sunday afternoon.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Broad daylight.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Sylvia is horrified as she watches the man approach her bungalow
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and casually walk up the drive to her front door.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38He stood there and he rang my doorbell and I just thought,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40"What would have happened if Tony had still been alive
0:06:40 > 0:06:43"and he had been in bed poorly, while I had gone out?"
0:06:43 > 0:06:45You know, it just didn't bear thinking about.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The man prowls around the bungalow.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51He was just pretending to be a normal person,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54going for a walk on the footpath.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56But he is obviously sussing out
0:06:56 > 0:06:58how he is going to come into the property.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01The intruder next appears in the back garden
0:07:01 > 0:07:04and begins pulling out Sylvia's hosepipe.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07She asks the police officers what they think he is up to.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10They said, "Well, if anybody had confronted him,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12"maybe seen him or heard him on your property,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14"his excuse would have been,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17"'I'm actually watering the plants for them while they're out.'"
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The man walks over to one of the rear windows near the shed.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I had locked all my windows, locked all my doors.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28He has no tools with him he can use to break in,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32so the man levers open the shed door to see what he can find.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It is like he comes to your house to burgle you
0:07:35 > 0:07:38equipped with nothing but a pair of rubber gloves.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41The man tries a number of tools to open a window.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44But it proves too difficult.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51So, he goes to another window, which is just out of the camera's view.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57The man still can't break in, so he gets different tools from the shed.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59His actions are shielded from passer-bys on the footpath
0:07:59 > 0:08:01by the tall fence.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07And it just amazes me that there's people walk up and down that path all the time,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and he doesn't seem to rush.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Out of view, the man finally breaks through a window
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and steals a selection of Sylvia's valuables.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18When he emerges, she is shocked to see what he is using
0:08:18 > 0:08:20to carry the stolen goods.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22I saw the bag and straightaway, I said,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24"That's the bag my husband's ashes was in."
0:08:24 > 0:08:27The man callously removed the clearly-labelled box
0:08:27 > 0:08:30containing Tony's ashes, so he could use the bag.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Terrible. The thought that he had actually handled Tony's ashes.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39I would have thought even a thief would have felt some remorse.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43He must have realised that whoever lived there was grieving.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45He was quite prepared to remove the ashes
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and use the bag to take away the stolen goods.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The burglar leaves by leaping over the fence.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54And no-one is any the wiser.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Or so he thinks.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00Later...
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The bag that had held Tony's ashes becomes a key piece of evidence.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Thanks to police technology and, Sylvia believes,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09some special extra help.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I just thought to myself, "You did it, Tony.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15"He was violating you by moving your ashes,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17"but you was going to get him."
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Now, here's a really blatant bit of daylight thievery.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35This man enters a restaurant, but he is not here to take away food.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42For some reason, he wants to get his hands on this large wall portrait.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Checking no staff are watching,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48he tries to wrench the artwork off the wall.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51But he can't seem to lift it.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57That is because this 3-D artwork weighs around 30kg,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59that's just under 5st.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03But the thief doesn't let this hang-up get in his way.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08He tries again and this time he manages to get it out the door.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09But he doesn't get far.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Outside, the weighty work of art proves too much for him
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and he has to dump it in nearby bushes.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21What's more, the picture-perfect CCTV images of this artless thief
0:10:21 > 0:10:24had put him well and truly in the frame.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27He is currently being displayed in the police rogues' gallery.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32And although he failed to enjoy the work of this particular artist,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35pretty soon he'll be receiving a constable instead.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45This burglar casually strolls in through the back door
0:10:45 > 0:10:47of a printing business.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50While staff work a few feet away,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52he helps himself to expensive equipment.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56He is an habitual thief.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00But he's made a big mistake picking on a printers.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04They have ways of making sure his face is seen all over town.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12In the city of Southampton,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Kevin owns a professional printing business.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17He has been in this line of work all his life,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20after the mighty metal printing presses of the past
0:11:20 > 0:11:22made an early impression on him.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26I started printing when I was 18 and I just love print,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28print is in my blood.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32When I first started, it was letterpress,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36so you put metal blocks into the machines, printed onto paper.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40But nowadays, it is more digital, faster turnaround,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42so you can do things the same day.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43It is always changing.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Kevin opened this printing shop 14 years ago.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51We are totally independent, it's just the one branch,
0:11:51 > 0:11:52and we have just grown it since.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57We print everything from business cards, we do brochures,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59we do flyers for local events
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and they rely on us to give them a really good service.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07But Kevin's print shop is about to get a visit from a barefaced thief,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10whose actions threaten to stop the press.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It is first thing in the morning on a summer weekday.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Kevin and his staff are opening up.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24The office is at the back of the shop, went through,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28I put my laptop on my desk, like I normally do, and the work starts.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34By the afternoon, the staff are busy printing customers' orders.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38As it is a hot day, the temperature inside the office is sweltering.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42The machines that we use, they get very hot,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45so we need to keep it fairly cool, if we can.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So we had the door open at the back
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and we had a fan blowing the air back through
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and it was causing a nice breeze.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57But an unwanted visitor is about to breeze in through that door.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02The shop has a camera covering the rear of the store and the office.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Just out of shot to the left, staff are busy serving customers,
0:13:07 > 0:13:12when this intruder enters through the back door, bold as brass.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15He carefully steps over the fan...
0:13:16 > 0:13:18..and then leans into Kevin's office,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21where he starts searching through a bag.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26While he rummages around,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30he keeps an eye on the front of the store to check no-one is coming.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35After nearly a minute, he has found nothing.
0:13:36 > 0:13:42So, the shameless thief gets even bolder and steps inside the office.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46He comes out with a laptop in his right hand...
0:13:48 > 0:13:49..and a camera in his left.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55After checking again that nobody is coming from the front of the shop,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58this blatant burglar hurdles over the fan
0:13:58 > 0:14:02and escapes through the back door into the street beyond.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Two hours later, it is closing time and Kevin is getting ready to leave.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14I went to put my laptop into my bag, it wasn't there.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Couldn't find it anywhere.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18You just know, it's gone.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Kevin checks the day's footage recorded by the shop's cameras.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26He can't believe his eyes.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I was shocked that somebody would just brazenly walk in,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33pick it up and go!
0:14:33 > 0:14:35It's daylight robbery.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I felt sick. We were talking to our customers at the counter,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42just metres away.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Kevin's employee, Agatha, was one of the staff working that day.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50We were just shocked how casual this guy was about the whole thing
0:14:50 > 0:14:54and had the courage to just come in when we were here.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I wouldn't want to confront him myself,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00because you don't know what his reaction would be.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Kevin is appalled when he sees the outrageous way
0:15:04 > 0:15:09the thief just wandered in and made off with his expensive laptop and camera.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14The camera was worth about £800 and the laptop was £1,700.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18We've never had anybody come through the back door until now.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20We assumed it was safe.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Kevin calls the police and then his insurance company,
0:15:24 > 0:15:25who give him bad news.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I found out it wasn't covered because there was no forced entry.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Because the door was open, they wouldn't pay out.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Kevin can print most things, but not money,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41so he's £2,500 worse off.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42What is even more worrying,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45the laptop and camera the thief stole
0:15:45 > 0:15:47both contained customers' artwork,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49which could have been disastrous for the company.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Although we had backed it up, it's just time to get all that back.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56It was just a nightmare.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58The police forensic team arrives.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04But sadly, this thief has left no prints at the printers.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06They just basically said,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08"There is not a lot we can do to get anybody,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10"but we'll put all the footage and all that on social media,"
0:16:10 > 0:16:12which is what they done.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15So, Kevin decides to go after this cheeky criminal
0:16:15 > 0:16:16the old-fashioned way.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19He does what he knows best and gets printing.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Soon, wanted posters with the thief's mugshot
0:16:23 > 0:16:25are flying off the presses.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28His face on there, as clear as day,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30we done it because we wanted to get him caught.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34We put posters up, all the way through Southampton, everywhere,
0:16:34 > 0:16:35everywhere we could think of.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39The posters have the police's e-mail address
0:16:39 > 0:16:42for people to contact with information.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46But soon, it seems somebody is not keen on the extra attention.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48After I put them up, they were ripped down.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52But this rip-off doesn't work.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55The publicity and police investigation pay off
0:16:55 > 0:16:58when the thief is identified and arrested.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02It turns out this overt offender is responsible for a series of crimes
0:17:02 > 0:17:04all over Southampton.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Kevin and his printing press have helped put a stop
0:17:08 > 0:17:10to this prolific thief.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15I was pleased that he was no longer hanging around,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19he was in custody and he was off the streets.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22And Southampton's businesses can rest a little easier,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25knowing this serial offender won't be sneaking up on them
0:17:25 > 0:17:27for quite some time.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35In court, the 44-year-old man pleaded guilty to nine offences,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38including burglary, theft and fraud.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41He was given two years and eight months in prison.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51In the time since the burglary, the shop security has been upgraded.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56From now on, we are just keeping the doors closed, even when it is hot!
0:17:58 > 0:18:03We've got alarms on the doors, so if the doors are opened, it goes off.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Kevin hasn't let this bad experience stop him looking to the future.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12I love printing and I will probably carry on for the rest of my life.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15We would like to expand the company, watch this space.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25We saw there how even if someone is a victim of crime,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27their insurance company might not reimburse them
0:18:27 > 0:18:29if, for some reason, they are not covered.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32So what can people do to avoid being left out of pocket?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36You have a duty, as a householder, to take reasonable steps
0:18:36 > 0:18:37to secure property.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Insurance companies won't necessarily pay out
0:18:39 > 0:18:41if you leave your home unlocked,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44if you've asked for an alarm to be a discount on your insurance premium
0:18:44 > 0:18:45and you don't set it.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Many policies have a limit for the maximum they will pay out
0:18:49 > 0:18:50for an individual item.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54It may be that you have laptops, cameras, computers,
0:18:54 > 0:18:55televisions, etc...
0:18:55 > 0:18:57which are worth more than that limit.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00If you do have high-value items within your home address,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04I think it is very important you consider investing in a safe.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Some items might not be covered if you take them out of your home,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10for instance, a laptop or certain items of jewellery,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12so just make sure you know what's on the small print.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Write an inventory down, list down all of those valuable items,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18where you bought them from, what the cost was,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20so that you're able to tell the police
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and also tell your insurance company what has been taken.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24That will - one - help us catch people quicker,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27recover your property and also allow you to make an insurance claim
0:19:27 > 0:19:29a lot easier.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Crime is, of course, never a laughing matter.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42But this chap could have a future as a stand-up comic,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44if only he could stand up.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47He arrives at a convenience store and lurks in the doorway,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51clearly worse for wear and rather unsteady on his feet.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Crouching down so he can't be seen,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00he gets a packet of loo roll to block the automatic door,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03because he's spotted something he wants to steal.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Surprisingly, it is not booze and it is not cigarettes.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Believe it or not, this spaced out shoplifter...
0:20:11 > 0:20:13..is after a children's comic.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16And a minute later,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20this cartoon criminal comes back to steal some more, with his
0:20:20 > 0:20:23chimpanzee-grabs-a-banana approach.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32A grown man reading kids' comics?!
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Maybe this super villain wishes he were a superhero!
0:20:37 > 0:20:42And soon he is back again, crawling into the shop like Spider-Man.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45But his arch enemy, Cashier Man, suddenly appears,
0:20:45 > 0:20:50so he transforms into Mr Freeze and then reaches for one last comic,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52before getting battered away.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59The next day, the shop owner puts this footage online
0:20:59 > 0:21:03to shame the comic crook and it is viewed thousands of times.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Although police are yet to catch up with the thief...
0:21:07 > 0:21:10..the fact everybody is laughing at him means he is probably in
0:21:10 > 0:21:14an Incredible Sulk somewhere, wishing he was the Invisible Man.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27We are back in the outskirts of Doncaster,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30where Sylvia's bungalow has just been burgled,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33less than a fortnight after her husband Tony's funeral.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37The thief took valuables worth hundreds of pounds.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40He removed a box containing Tony's ashes
0:21:40 > 0:21:42from the bag he used to carry his haul.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46My daughter, she came down, and by the time the police went,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48it was quite late at night and she said to me,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50"Do you want to come back to our house?"
0:21:50 > 0:21:54And I said, "No, because I will never sleep here again if I do.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56"I've got to be here, I've got to face it."
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Sylvia finds strength in her late husband's words.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02When Tony was alive, he used to say to me,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06"You know what's going to happen. I know what's going to happen.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09"But you're the one who has got to be brave.
0:22:09 > 0:22:10"You've got to be."
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And every time something really tough happens,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17I always remember them words, "I've got to be brave."
0:22:17 > 0:22:19And I'll say to him, "I weren't very brave today,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22"because I had a bit of a breakdown."
0:22:22 > 0:22:24I feel as though he's still there
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and if that is what has been given to me to help me to cope, then,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29yeah, it's helping me.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Police Constable Richard Glover is working on the case.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37He knows the effect a burglary can have on a victim.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40It is an invasion of your personal space.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Your home is where you feel safe, you feel secure,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45you build your memories, you've got your family.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47And to have somebody walk into your house,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49go through all your personal property,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52it is not monetary possessions, it is sentimental possessions.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And to touch them or take them...
0:22:55 > 0:22:57it can tear your life apart.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I met Sylvia. She was putting on a very brave face,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04but you could still see it was a very traumatic experience to go through.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Richard is determined to track down the thief.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10And the recording from Sylvia's security cameras
0:23:10 > 0:23:14looked to have given his investigation a flying start.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16CCTV can be absolutely vital.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18When it is of such quality that Sylvia had,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21you look at it and you think, "Yeah, we stand a good chance here."
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Somebody, somewhere, would be able to name that person.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28The CCTV clearly showed the burglar taking the red bag
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Sylvia had been using to keep the container
0:23:31 > 0:23:33of her late husband's ashes.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I believe it affected Sylvia quite deeply
0:23:35 > 0:23:38that somebody had touched something so personal to her
0:23:38 > 0:23:40and so raw, at the time, to her.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43She identified that bag, so during the area search,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47they already knew what items they were looking out for
0:23:47 > 0:23:49and a short distance away, this red bag was found,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and it was so distinctive,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54it was quite obvious that it was linked to Sylvia's home address.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56The bag is sent to a forensic lab
0:23:56 > 0:23:59to be examined for finger prints and DNA.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04That process to get that work done does take a number of weeks,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06but in the back of my mind, it was always there,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08are we going to get something from this bag?
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Because that would be, more or less, gold dust for us.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Richard circulates still images of the burglar
0:24:14 > 0:24:18around the South Yorkshire force, to see if an officer can identify him.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Within two days, a name had been put forward for that offender.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Sylvia's good-quality footage has paid off.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31They now have the name of a prime suspect.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Richard issues an arrest warrant.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Within literally a matter of hours,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39the Offender Management Team had picked up this suspect
0:24:39 > 0:24:41walking through the town centre.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44The suspect is brought to the station.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Richard interviews him and shows him Sylvia's CCTV footage.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Throughout the interview, the suspect said, "That's not me,
0:24:53 > 0:24:54"it's not me."
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Richard is going to have his work cut out proving the man's guilt.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01You know that person there is that person on that footage,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03you ask him to account for it and they're not accounting,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06so you have to think, "Am I missing a trick here?
0:25:06 > 0:25:07"Am I missing something?"
0:25:07 > 0:25:09But you have to be resolute that you are right.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13I had to look at other ways of where I can get the evidence to show,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17especially to a jury, that this is this person.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Realising Sylvia's burglar might walk away scot-free,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Richard decides to enlist the hi-tech help
0:25:23 > 0:25:26of the force's facial imaging unit.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30We take images that we have from the scene, Sylvia's footage,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34and took images of the offender himself in our custody suite,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37to show the comparisons of the faces of that person.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40The facial expert's verdict bolsters Richard's case.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45The person on the CCTV footage, the person in custody,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47is one and the same person.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51But the suspect continues to deny the crime.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54It looks like the case will have to go to trial by jury,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57an ordeal for Sylvia that Richard is desperate to avoid.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Then, just a day before a pre-trial hearing...
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Richard receives an e-mail from the forensic lab about the red bag.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11The results say, "We've got fingerprints of the suspect.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14"The suspect is named on this bag"
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and that does give you a right good feeling.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Richard calls the prosecutors at the court
0:26:21 > 0:26:24and they let the suspect know about the new evidence against him.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27He finally accepts his fate.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It was a relief at the pre-trial hearing
0:26:31 > 0:26:33that the suspect pleaded guilty
0:26:33 > 0:26:35and that we got closure for Sylvia,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38who is a victim of what is a very traumatic crime.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Richard phones Sylvia to tell her the man has pleaded guilty
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and that it was the bag that contained Tony's ashes
0:26:45 > 0:26:48that provided a key piece of evidence.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I just thought to myself, "You did it, Tony."
0:26:51 > 0:26:52You know, "You did it.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55"You was in there, he was violating our home,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59"he was violating you by moving your ashes, but you was going to get him.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01"And then you did, because, you know,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05"your bag was the evidence that he had been in the property."
0:27:05 > 0:27:08And I always say that Tony caught him.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15In court, the thief was sentenced to six years in prison,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17because he is a repeat offender.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26Richard is pleased the burglar has been put away for such a long time.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It gives me a good feeling that I've helped Sylvia get closure
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and that we're preventing other people from becoming victims as well.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Sylvia has now got over the burglary and is moving forward
0:27:35 > 0:27:40with her plans to build a memorial garden that Tony would be proud of.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Tony was an outdoor person and because we both liked being out there,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48that was the best place for me to connect with him.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51I think he guides me, and until it is doubted to me,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53I will still carry on believing.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56And I think he is there and that he will always be there,
0:27:56 > 0:27:57watching over me.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03That is all for today.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05You have seen just a few of the thousands of criminals
0:28:05 > 0:28:08who are captured on camera every year.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Join us next time to see more villains
0:28:10 > 0:28:12who have been caught red-handed.