Burglar brought to justice after being stopped by police in a stolen car in Bournemouth
Adam Crawford was sent to prison for a number of offences committed over nine days.
A burglar and fraudster has been brought to justice after police stopped him in a stolen car in Bournemouth.
30-year-old Adam James Michael Crawford, from Sunderland, was jailed for a number of offences committed over nine days.
At around 2pm on Sunday 2nd of November last year, Crawford visited a block of flats in Lindsay Road in Poole and told the occupant of one flat that he was undertaking a sponsored sky dive in order to raise funds for a cancer charity.
The victim, a man in his 70s, said he did not have any money, but the cause was one close to his heart due to family losses. Crawford then took the victim to the nearest cashpoint, where he withdrew £200 and gave it to him.
Two days later, Crawford returned to the same block and went to another flat, again claiming to be collecting money for the cancer charity.
The occupants agreed to give him £20 and handed over £60 in cash, which he said he would get changed into smaller denominations and give them back change.
Crawford did not return and the victims later found that a Higrace tablet had been stolen from the flat.
Thanks to doorbell camera footage, Crawford was identified as the suspect for these two offences and officers undertook enquiries to locate and arrest him.
While these enquiries were being conducted, on Tuesday 11th of November 2025 a motorist was dropping off some items in the area of Poole Quay and left his vehicle with the keys in the ignition.
Crawford, who was walking past, got into the vehicle and drove off.
The vehicle owner notified police and around 15 minutes later the vehicle was spotted in the Westbourne area of Bournemouth.
Police subsequently went to stop the vehicle in Princess Road, at which point the defendant drove into the side of one police car and reversed into a second one. He also collided with a parked car before he was pulled from the vehicle and detained.
Crawford was arrested and charged with burglary, theft, fraud by false representation, aggravated vehicle taking and driving whilst disqualified. He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 6th of March 2026 to a total of five years and four months in prison. He was disqualified from driving until January 2029.
Detective Constable Jo Regan, of the Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “Adam Crawford targeted two elderly victims before an opportunistic theft of a vehicle, which he drove in a dangerous manner and risked seriously injuring the officers who tried to stop him."
“Thanks to the swift response of officers, we were able to bring him to justice for the motoring offences and our detectives were also able to compile evidence to link him to the burglary and fraud matters.”