Raider caused £40,000-worth of damage to Colne firm

A NIGHT-TIME company raider who left a £40,000 trail of damage and stopped work is behind bars for two years.

Burnley Crown Court heard how, in the attack on label makers Bellwoven, in Colne, prolific crook Jason Harrison stripped out copper piping, causing flooding. Police found him upstairs in the building in Newmarket Street, after he had stayed until morning. He was filthy, covered in oil and other substances and was under the influence of something. The defendant was armed with a torch and a Stanley knife was discovered nearby.

The hearing was told the roof of the firm would cost £50,000 to repair, but all the blame for that could not be laid at the defendant’s door, even though that was how he got in, as Bellwoven had been plagued with thieves trying to steal lead flashing.

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Harrison had been bailed and days later was found out in the street at midnight with a Stanley knife and wearing orange gloves. He told police he had been intending to steal.

The defendant (42), of Fir Street, Nelson, had 62 previous convictions.

He had admitted burglary and going equipped for theft in early April, and had been committed for sentence by Pennine magistrates. Sentencing him, Recorder Andrew Long said he had a “prodigious” criminal record.

Miss Sarah Statham (prosecuting) said Harrison tried to remove copper piping from several floors of the building, stripped it down from walls and piled it in the middle of the premises ready to take.

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Water was on the floors and seeping down through the premises and stock, computers and electric cables were damaged. The defendant was found at 8 a.m. and was in a state. Three blue tablets, thought to be valium, were by him.

Miss Statham said the £41,000 damage had a considerable impact on the company which could not function properly for some time after. The sum did not include the loss of four days of dispatching goods, printing and production.

Harrison was interviewed and couldn’t remember much. He was bailed and on April 11th, was discovered in Larch Street, Nelson, acting suspiciously. He was spotted putting something under a bin and police discovered a bag containing a Stanley knife.