Hapless Havant and Waterlooville FC pub burglar with 'appalling' record jailed for 7 days

William Gould, 46, was caught red-handed on CCTV after breaking in to The Westleigh pub with a garden fork on August 5. The Martin Road premises in Havant, which is the official pub of Havant and Waterlooville FC, was left with £2,000 worth of damage from where a rear patio door was broken, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

But Gould, of no fixed address, left the pub empty-handed – having ‘clearly’ been seen on CCTV. Police were subsequently able to identify the defendant.

Prosecutor Martyn Booth said: ‘There was some degree of planning. He went equipped to the property, although nothing was taken.’

READ NOW: Complaints over Pompey fan in ladies toilets

The court heard the burglary was among a spate of raids by Gould in the area carried out over June and July. For those four burglaries, Gould was sentenced to 20 months in jail in November.

But for unknown reasons Gould was not sentenced for the break-in to the West Leigh pub at the same time. ‘It was part and parcel of the same series of burglaries but it came to be separated,’ Daniel Reilly, defending, said before adding: ‘It’s an unusual set of circumstances.’

The barrister said all the burglaries ‘followed the same M.O. (modus operandi)’ with Gould caught on CCTV as police were able to ‘clearly identify the defendant’. Mr Reilly said Gould, who pleaded guilty to non-dwelling burglary, admitted the offence at the first opportunity.

SEE ALSO: Woman jailed for stealing trainers

Judge Jane England said: ‘You broke into a pub associated with Havant and Waterlooville Football Club. You left empty handed but we are told you caused £2,000 of damage to the patio door. Your face was clearly seen on CCTV.’

Speaking of why Gould was not dealt with at the same time as the other burglaries he carried out, the judge said: ‘There does not seem to be a good reason for this considering your face was clearly seen on CCTV,’ she said.

The judge said the burglary would have ‘added a bit to the (previous) sentence but not much’ before she jailed Gould for another seven days of which he will only have to serve half. She added: ‘You have an appalling record going back 30 years.’

SEE MORE: Man wanted over exposure incident