Rooftop thief gets a taste of swift justice

Jul 5 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

A METAL thief has been given a dose of rapid justice – after being sent to prison the day after he was arrested for committing the crime.

Christin Santa Maria, 21, was caught stripping lead off the roof of a house in Blyth, Northumberland, at 4am on Wednesday and was beginning a six-month jail sentence the following morning.

Santa Maria, of Windmill Grove, Blyth, was arrested after a householder in Arcot Terrace was woken up by loud scraping noises from the roof.

On looking out she saw Santa Maria, who ran off across the roof and jumped into her back garden, landing astride the crossbar of a child’s swing on the way down.

He hid in nearby bushes but another witness, who had also been woken up by the commotion, managed to direct police officers to him.

He was arrested for theft and later charged. Lead stolen from the roof was found nearby.

On Thursday morning Santa Maria appeared before South East Northumberland magistrates at Bedlington, where he pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to six months in prison. Northumbria Police Blyth-based Neighbourhood Inspector Bill Fawcett said: “This swift justice shows how seriously the police and the courts are taking the current trend in metal thefts.

“Santa Maria is a prolific offender in Blyth and we will continue to target those whose criminal and anti-social behaviour affects the lives of others.”

The court case follows a recent upsurge in thefts of lead and other metals from churches, schools and other buildings across the region.

In April, thieves stole £3,000 worth of intricate lead guttering from the bandstand on Blyth Links, which was undergoing a £450,000 revamp.

Raiders have targeted church roofs, drain covers, memorials, railways lines, factories and even an electricity sub-station in search of lead, copper and other metals to sell on the black market.