James Mashford, a 45-year-old prolific offender with an ‘appalling’ record of over 20 home burglaries, has been jailed again. The Lincoln Crown Court heard that Mashford was apprehended after one of his victims tracked a stolen mobile phone with an app, leading the police to Mashford’s location within a quarter of an hour. The incident occurred in Riverside, Grantham, on 24 July 2024. The court also heard that a woman in the burgled flat was awakened by an unidentified accomplice of Mashford’s who was touching her inappropriately. Additionally, her partner found his wallet, cash and mobile phone missing. The police located Mashford in the Commercial Road area, where he had discarded a knife and was found with stolen items. His fingerprint was also discovered at the burgled premises. Mashford, from Avenue Road, Grantham, confessed to two counts of burglary, three counts of fraud and one charge of possessing a blade. His sentence is six years and eleven months. The court was also informed of Mashford’s involvement in a distraction burglary at a 73-year-old man’s house and a theft of £750 using a stolen bank card. Mashford’s defence, Steve Taylor, stated that he had avoided trouble for 18 months after being released from a previous six-year term, but had relapsed into drug use after leaving his mother’s house.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
