Coventry man convicted of stealing thousands of pounds worth of computers from schools
Police traced him after pouring over hundreds of hours of CCTV footage
A Coventry man has been convicted of stealing thousands of pounds worth of computer equipment during a series of burglaries targeting schools.
50 year old Darren Reid, of Bell Green Road, admitted to burglary, handling stolen goods and possession of a Class B drug on 19 December at Warwick Crown Court.
It follows a spate of break-ins throughout the year, during which laptops, iPads and other valuables were taken.
Officers have been pouring over CCTV since, with Reid being arrested in October.
He was charged with taking around £8,000 worth of computers and other valuables.
Inspector Dave Mason, of West Midlands Police, said: "This spate of burglaries had a devastating impact on the resources available to our young pupils.
"It has greatly impacted on school budgets, risking their ability to provide extracurricular activities for pupils.
"Thanks to the hard work of the officers investigating, we were able to build a case against Reid and see him quickly charged.
"We'd remind anyone who is offered electronic items at a discounted price, by someone they don't know, to instead report it to us.
"Selling these kind of items without proper documentation can be a sign of stolen goods, so don't buy them if the seller can't provide proof of purchase."