​Burglar Caught After Being Clawed By Victim's Cat

A burglar was caught out after he was connected to a crime from blood left at the scene - having been clawed by a family cat called Toothless.

I mean, I know they say not all heroes wear capes, but the fact that this one also possesses a long tail and a fur coat is pretty impressive.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Connor Gorton raided the home with an accomplice in the early hours of 19 April, also calling the residents taunting them hours later.

The next morning, victim Beth Carr noticed that her cat Toothless was limping, and also clocked blood on the walls.

Putting two and two together, she believed the feisty moggy must have attacked Gorton - who was arrested by police, who found scratch marks on his face.

Police handout

Prosecuting, Stephen Parker, said: "It was forensic evidence that linked the defendant to the scene in two ways. Both fingerprints from a plug socket and some blood on the wall.

"Ms Carr noticed that morning when she came downstairs that her cat was limping. The cat is called Toothless and she wondered whether the cat might have clawed the burglar. She said it could be quite aggressive with people it didn't know."

The court heard how Carr and her fiancee were asleep in their home in Burnley. The couple went downstairs the following morning and found they had been burgled, their front door unlocked.

Carr then received texts that suggested the burglars were across the road watching, and that they would sell their possessions (including two mobile phones, an Xbox One console and a PlayStation) back for £500 ($624).

Beth Carr/Facebook

The court also heard that overnight between 21 and 22 April a BMW was stolen from a house in Colne.

While Gorton denied any involvement in the burglary, the son of the BMW owner received information suggesting the defendant had been seen driving it.

The son saw a video of Gorton driving the BMW on Facebook.

Parker said: "Exchanges were made on Facebook between them. The defendant said he had been involved in driving it but he had bought it legitimately for £700."

Gorton was arrested in relation to both the burglary and BMW offences, and was released on bail.

When Gorton was on bail, he then allegedly took £60,000 ($74,000) Range Rover from another property in Colne.

Gorton, who has seven convictions for 16 offences, pleaded guilty to two burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking, two thefts and driving without a licence and insurance.

Defending, Isobel Thomas said her client had a number of difficulties in his childhood.

She said he had been using hard drugs since he was 14, adding: "He had developed a very heavy cocaine habit. It was costing him about £180 per day. His explanation for becoming involved in these offences was in order to obtain goods to fund that habit."

Sentencing Gorton to 36 months in a young offenders' institution, Recorder David Temkin said: "You are still only 18 and that is a very important factor in this case."

Gorton was also banned from driving for 30 months.

Topics: uk news, News, Cat, Animals

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman