Burglary charges dropped against prisoner (From Wiltshire Times)

Burglary charges dropped against prisoner

1:00pm Tuesday 28th August 2012 in Warminster By Wiltshire Times Reporter

A prisoner accused of burgling the home of an 84-year-old man has had the charges against him dropped.

Justin Leach was said to have carried out the raid on the pensioner’s house on Victoria Road, Warminster, early last year.

A cigarette butt found close to the scene of the crime had a DNA sample on it which matched the 35-year-old.

But after his girlfriend said she was with him at the time of the offence and there being forensic evidence of another person on the cigarette, the charge was dropped.

Leach, of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty to the single charge of stealing cash on February 28 last year when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court.

He was due to face trial today but before a jury could be sworn in Tessa Hingston, for the Crown, said they would offer no evidence.

She said “The essence of the defence was that the DNA on the cigarette found outside the property had got there by other means and the defendant had an alibi and had a witness, his girlfriend.

“Given the DNA was on a moveable object and was a mixed profile, two contributors one unknown, it was decided it was not appropriate to proceed.”

After offering no evidence Judge Douglas Field returned a formal not guilty verdict on the charge.

Leach is a serving prisoner and not due for release until June next year.