A thief who targeted an NHS hospital on multiple occasions, stealing from staff trying to deal with the pandemic, has been jailed for more than nine years.
27-year-old Michael Bourn was first spotted on CCTV at North Cambridgeshire Hospital in Wisbech on 28th May 2021.
A tradesman was doing some work on the roof when he returned to his van and noticed power tools worth about £900 were missing.
The CCTV footage showed a clear image of the suspect’s face, and officers could identify Bourn.
Just a week later, Bourn returned to the hospital and, this time, stole a purse, phone and car keys from a worker who had left them in an area not usually accessed by the public.
After noticing her keys were missing, the victim went outside to check on her car and noticed it was gone.
Once again, CCTV caught Bourn in the act.
Bourn visited the hospital twice more in the following days, taking a wifi dongle and some cash.
On one occasion, a night shift worker tending to an elderly patient noticed Bourn removing the window to one of the offices in an attempt to get in.
She disturbed him, and he ran away, but Bourn had completely removed the window. On both occasions, CCTV was recovered.
Bourn was also sentenced for engaging in sexual communication with a child, relating to him sending explicit pictures and having a sexual conversation via social media with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, and a robbery concerning a handbag snatch on 22 June last year.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, attempted burglary and theft of a motor vehicle.
He also admitted two counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, two counts of inciting a girl aged 14 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of robbery.
He was sentenced to a total of nine years and one month in prison at Peterborough Crown Court yesterday (9 March).
PC Peter Waite, who investigated, said:
“Bourn brazenly and shamelessly targeted hospital workers and staff who were working tirelessly to care for sick people during the pandemic.
“He continued to go back again and again, stealing thousands of pounds worth of items.
“Together with the robbery and engaging in sexual communication with a child, Bourn’s actions were absolutely despicable and I am glad justice has been done.
“Bourn will spend a significant period behind bars to reflect on the hurt he has caused.”
Recommended video:
Before you go...
We need your help. As former emergency services & armed forces personnel, we pride ourselves on bringing you important, fast-moving and breaking news stories & videos which are free from the negative bias which is often directed at the emergency services & NHS by some sections of the mainstream media.
One of the reasons we started 'Emergency Services News' back in 2018 was because we became tired of reading badly informed stories about the emergency services & NHS which seemed only ever to highlight negative aspects of the job.
We want to be the unheard voice of the remarkable men and women who serve in the emergency services, NHS and armed forces. And with around 500k page views each month, we are getting there!
As income from ads, the mainstay source of income for most publishers, continues to decline; we need the help of you, our readers.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
If he actually does 9 years I would be mildly happy. He will not. I reckon he will be out by the time he is 31-32, still a young man more than capable of propagating his evil ways. No child is safe.
Agreed these sentences need to be without reduction which in this case would also make me slightly encouraged that the courts were supporting the Police by handing out meaningful sentence’s.