Who’s a guilty boy then? Squawking parrot saves street from serial burglar
A serial burglar who was foiled by a squawking parrot has been jailed for two years.
Jake Fletcher, 24, was stopped in his tracks when the bird’s owner raised the alarm during a night-time break-in.
The burglar’s raid last June on three houses on the same street in Monmouth, Wales, was scuppered by the noise made by Charlie, an orange-winged Amazon parrot.
In the final house of his raid, Fletcher was confronted by Charlie in the living room, which woke up his owner, Emma Dazeley, 41, who was sleeping upstairs.
Fletcher fled the scene after she confronted him, but not before dropping a bag and stolen items. Dazeley was given a £500 reward for her bravery as her actions led to his arrest.
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Prosecutor Matthew Roberts told Cardiff Crown Court: "During the last burglary, one of the victims was asleep in bed when she heard the family parrot squawking in the front room and she went to investigate.
“She saw the defendant hiding behind the door and confronted him. He pushed past her and ran out of the back door.
“The complainant grabbed hold of a rucksack the defendant had and told him he was not taking her daughter’s bag with him. This caused the bag to rip.
“He fled and she pursued him. He tried to scale a fence but she tried to pull him down."
The court heard Fletcher dropped the rucksack along with video games, a bottle of Prosecco and a bottle of gin before he ran off.
Fletcher, from Newport, pleaded guilty to three burglaries on 20 June last year in Monmouth.
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Defending, Suzanne Payne said: “He says his drink was spiked on the night of the offending and that he lost days of his life."
Sentencing Fletcher to two years in prison, judge Richard Williams praised the parrot's owner for her bravery.
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He said: “There was a struggle for possession of the rucksack with one victim. She tried to tackle you to stop you going over the fence.
“If I were to impose a suspended prison sentence, it would add insult to her injury.
“The victim showed considerable determination and courage. She is commended for her actions and will receive a £500 award.”
However, Ms Dazeley will not be able to share her reward with Charlie, as the parrot flew off six weeks ago and has not returned.
She said: "I was going to give his some cuttlefish - that's his favourite. You can get a lot of that for £500.
"But I'm sorry to say that he's not here any more. He's been gone for weeks now and I really miss him.
"He loved a good squawk and he did the trick that night when the burglar came.”
She said Charlie was a rescue bird and that she had him for six years.
“He’s my hero and I want him back,” she said.