Deaf burglar failed to hear victim approaching

A PROLIFIC deaf burglar was caught because he didn’t hear his victim approaching as he ransacked a house reports the Leyton Guardian (15/12/11).

Marc Kaye, 45, of Radlix Road, Leyton, broke into the first floor of a house in Kew, Richmond, in June this year. But he did not realise one of the occupants, Martin Dean, 41, was upstairs at the time.

On hearing a disturbance, Mr Dean went to investigate and found Kaye in a ground floor bedroom.

Kaye fled when he spotted Mr Dean, who tried to stop him but the thief managed to escape through a window with a stash of jewellery.

When being interviewed by Detective Constable Gary Smith, Mr Dean described the burglar as bald and about 45 years old. He also mentioned his surprise that Kaye had not heard him approaching.

Det Cons Smith then recalled arresting a bald and profoundly deaf man for burglary in 2008 and traced Kaye through police records.

He stood trial at Kingston Crown Court earlier this month after being picked out by Mr Dean from an identity parade.

Kaye initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea during the trial. He was sentenced to five years in prison for one count of burglary.

Following the sentencing Det Cons Smith said: "Taking into account Kaye's prolific history of burglary and that within weeks of his release from prison he broke into this house, it was highly likely that he would have gone on to commit many more break-ins if we hadn't caught him. “He was a menace to the public and the sentence given to him reflects this".

"Mr Dean deserves praise for his bravery in confronting Kaye and successfully identifying him in the ID parade. It is also to his credit that he noted the importance of the suspect having not heard him coming, from which I was able to make the connection to Kaye".