Sutton man on tag when he burgled Post Office for charity box

The alarm was set off when Callum Rowarth forced open the front door of Lowdham Post Office, with two other men, at 3.30am, on June 6.

But they were unable to get through the steel door leading to the back office, and fled with the collection box, which is estimated to have contained £20 to £30.

CCTV showed a Vauxhall Astra leaving the scene, and police were able to track the car to Blidworth Woods, where two people ran away, and one was caught.

Prosecutor Simon Rowe said the defendant wasn’t stopped at the scene, but he was traced by DNA on a drinks bottle that had been left behind.

“He was on tag at the time and it was activated when he was in Lowdham,” Mr Rowe said, adding that Rowarth was on bail pending a trial on August 20, relating to an incident in March 2016.

The court heard that he was also on licence, after being released halfway through a 16-month prison sentence, in August last year.

Chris Perry, mitigating, said that Rowarth had found a job since his release and had been providing negative drug tests.

“He has seemingly been doing the right thing, but this goes against that,” he said.

Rowarth, 23, of Greenwood Avenue, Huthwaite, admitted the offence, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

District judge Jonathan Taaffe told him: “On the surface you appear to have been making progress, but it’s quite clear that is an illusion.

“This was a mean offence committed while you were on court bail in relation to serious allegations.

“You know the rules, you were released at the halfway stage. Frankly, with your record, if you reoffend you will face a substantial prison sentence.”

He gave Rowarth six months in prison, to run at the same time as his recall to prison. He also ordered him to pay a £115 government surcharge.