A student texted a burglar after catching him as he left his flat, saying: “Mate, please return my things and I won’t call the police”.
Tommy Lloyd, 28, and an unknown woman had come across a slightly open window in a flat in the city centre, and took the opportunity to swipe an iPhone and virtual reality headset, costing over £1,000.
As he was leaving he was met by the flat-owner who asked what he was doing. Lloyd, of Birmingham, falsely told him that a friend was stuck in the building and he was trying to get them out. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community Believing Lloyd was armed with a knife, the student backed away, allowing Lloyd and the woman to leave.
The student later texted his own phone, that Lloyd had swiped, and said: “Mate, I understand your position please return my things by 2am and I won’t call the police.” But he had already sold both the iPhone and gaming system to buy class A drugs, Manchester Crown Court heard.