A THIEF tried to stash stolen lead flashings worth nearly £3,000 in a wheelie bin to hide them from police.
But a neighbour spotted what he was doing and called police, Warrington Crown Court was told.
Lee Johnson, 36, of Dean Crescent, Longford, Warrington admitted theft by finding.
Diane White, prosecuting, said a
resident of Quebec Road, Orford heard slates being moved in the early hours of the morning. He looked out of his window to see a man on a neighbouring roof.
The following day he saw Johnson leaning by a store cupboard, which the neighbour could see contained lead flashings.
He saw Johnson begin putting them in a wheelie bin before police arrived and arrested him.
Johnson admitted being told where to go for the lead, but said he did not originally remove the flashings from the roofs. The court heard lead worth £2,820 was taken from eight houses.
Simon Berkson, defending, said Johnson’s offending was heavily linked with the use of drugs and he was willing to co-operate with the probation service’s drug programme.
Johnson, who had previously spent 19 days in custody, was remanded on bail until September 12 to be assessed for his suitability for the programme.
