Burglar who raided Sheffield pretzel business Aunty Anne's jailed after blood linked him to crime

The raid was carried out at Aunty Anne’s on The Moor on July 7, 2021 and involved defendant, Richard Birrane, also known as Richard Golding, and two other, unidentified men, Sheffield Crown Court heard during a September 1 hearing.

Prosecuting barrister, Stuart Bell, told the court that CCTV shows that a group of five men were congregating near to the eatery at around 4am, before three members of the group break off, approach the premises and break some glass in order to gain access.

“Three men enter, but the other two haven’t been identified. The defendant was later identified after his blood was found in the till area,” said Mr Bell.

He added: “One of the men goes into the shop and takes the till, and pretty quickly goes into the street and smashes the till. The store manager estimates there was around £100 [in the till].”

An Acer laptop and various items of stock were also taken during the burglary, including drinks from the drinks cabinet, the court heard.

Aunty Anne’s was unable to open the following day as a result of the burglary, and consequently the business is estimated to have lost around £1,000 in takings, said Mr Bell.

The court was told that the estimated total loss to Aunty Anne’s was valued at £4,395.

After being linked to the crime, Birrane, aged 46, was interviewed by police on August 3, 2021, and made no comment, but subsequently acknowledged his wrong doing when he pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary at an earlier hearing.

Mr Bell said Birrane has previously been convicted of 46 burglaries, most recently in January 2020.

Timothy Savage, defending, said a delay in Birrane, of Firshill Crescent, Crabtree, Sheffield being charged meant he was recalled to prison in May this year for an offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm that he both committed, and was brought to justice for, after this offence was carried out.

The judge, Recorder Felicity Davies, said she would take this into consideration and handed Birrane, who she described as a ‘prolific burglar,’ a four month prison sentence.