Notorious burglar behind bars

Date published: 01/02/2010

One of Greater Manchester Police's most notorious criminals is finally behind bars.

Roy Anthony Boodle, 28, stole a charity box from Bury police station, containing just £12 for victims of domestic abuse on 30 December 2008.

He has today, 1 February 2010, been sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Bolton Crown Court.

Boodle, of no fixed abode, went on the run and last year his name and picture were published on Greater Manchester Police's 'Most Wanted' website.

He was eventually captured after GMP carried out a series of raids in December 2009 during which nearly 600 suspects were arrested.

Boodle pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and one of handling stolen goods at an earlier hearing, and asked for 10 other crimes, including eight burglaries, to be taken into consideration.

While on the run, Boodle used his mobile phone to update his Facebook page, taunting police he could not be caught, but when his photograph was published on the website police received information from a member of the public that he was hiding out in Whitefield.

Local police then worked closely with officers from Operation Storm, Greater Manchester Police's dedicated taskforce set up to stop burglars in their tracks, to make the arrest.

Boodle was remanded in custody after his arrest, meaning he spent Christmas behind bars.

Detective Inspector John Mazzolai said: "Make no mistake, Boodle is one of Manchester's most notorious criminals and he has been a top target for the Bury division for some time.

"To have him finally behind bars, where he can cause no menace to innocent members of our communities, is great news. I wonder if he is regretting his arrogant boasts about being able to evade police capture now he is staring at his cell's four walls.

"Stealing a charity box with money intended for victims of domestic abuse was a cowardly and despicable criminal act and justice has now finally caught up with Boodle.

"Thanks to Operation Storm and the work of local officers, we have seen a significant drop in the number of burglaries in Greater Manchester and we committed to bringing these sorts of career criminals to justice.

"It is important to remember that when we talk about a reduction in incidents, what we're actually talking about is fewer victims of crime - real people in other words.

"Burglary is a crime that can have a devastating impact on victims, and we are determined to keep targeting offenders to get them off the streets.

"Since the launch of Greater Manchester Police's Most Wanted website, members of the public have been able to go online and spot people in their local community they previously did not know were wanted. Their information is helping us to find some of our most prolific offenders.

"I would continue to urge the residents of Greater Manchester to report anyone they see on our website or in the media to us and with your help, we will continue to make arrests. Information can be given anonymously but it could be vital."

Last week, Greater Manchester Police arrested more than 1,200 suspected burglars, robbers and thieves as part of Operation Storm. To date, the operation has helped reduce burglary by more than 13 per cent when comparing figures from April 1 last year to the same period in 2008/09. This equates to 2,561 fewer families being subjected to this distressing crime.

Anyone who does have information about a suspected wanted individual in their community should call Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050 or the independent Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.