Bungling Birmingham burglar left key items behind at scene - and he's not allowed them back

by · Birmingham Live

Police have revealed how a Birmingham burglar was given "little choice'" but to admit his crimes just hours after being caught by officers. Tesfa Bernard-Wheeler was spotted on the evening of October 8 running away from a garden in Erdington.

As officers swooped on the city property, they spotted Bernard-Wheeler trying to flee the scene. Members of West Midlands Police's Operation Skybridge team chased Bernard-Wheeler, 28, to a neighbouring garden where he was caught in minutes.

Officers spoke of how at the scene they recovered a Sur-Ron bike, belonging to Bernard-Wheeler, along with tools and cash. This, combined with clothing evidence gave Bernard-Wheeler "little choice" to admit to the burglary during the early hours of October 8. He was jailed one month later at Birmingham Crown Court.

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A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "Our Operation Skybridge officers were promptly on the scene and saw Tesfa Bernard-Wheeler leaving the property. He tried to run off but officers chased after the 28-year-old and he was arrested in a neighbouring garden just minutes later.

CCTV footage has captured the moment a Birmingham burglar was chased down within minutes of police being called to the scene. Operation Skybridge officers from West Midlands Police chased down Tesfa Bernard-Wheeler after spotting him fleeing a property. He was jailed on November 8 (Image: West Midlands Police)

"At the scene we then recovered a Sur-Ron bike, belonging to Bernard-Wheeler, along with tools and cash. Officers also matched the clothing he was wearing with CCTV from the house burglary in Jerry's Lane.

"All the evidence meant the 28-year-old had little choice but to admit the burglary during the early hours of 8 October." Bernard-Wheeler, of Sturge Close, Selly Oak, was sentenced to a year and eight months in jail at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday November 8.

The force added than an order was also made to prevent Tesfa Bernard-Wheeler retrieving the Sur-Ron bike, gloves, balaclava screwdrivers, mole grips and £320 cash. West Midlands Police said it is the first jail term secured through Operation Skybridge which launched in Birmingham in September this year.

Sergeant Leon Butler said: "We've already seen the real difference Op Skybridge can make with arrests and the recovery of drugs and weapons across Birmingham. We were deployed in Erdington at the time and after being alerted to the burglary we were there within minutes.

"Bernard-Wheeler tried to run off but he didn't get far, just into a nearby garden. We've not been formed too long and this will be the first of many jail terms we expect to secure in the months to come."