Kane Lee, 28, of Albert Road, Luton, has been jailed for four years after admitting to burgling the home of former world snooker champion Kyren Wilson. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £228 at a sentencing hearing earlier this week.
Northamptonshire Police reported that high-value jewellery, luxury watches, designer handbags, and cash designated for a children's cancer charity were taken from Mr Wilson's house near Kettering on 22 June. Mr Wilson stated that £2,000 in cash, set aside as a donation for the BeMoreFab Children's Cancer Charity, was stolen.
Lee initially denied the burglary charge but changed his plea to guilty at a hearing at Northampton Crown Court. Police said he acquired tools and clothing from B&Q and Tesco for the burglary, driving from Luton to Kettering in a vehicle with cloned number plates. He reportedly arrived after 11:00 BST, smashing an upstairs window of the unoccupied four-bedroom detached house in Barton Seagrave to gain entry, and left in the same vehicle.
Det Insp Alan Rooney commented that the sentence reflects the impact such a crime can have, stating that people often underestimate how violating it feels to know someone has been inside their home with the intent to steal.