A MAN has been jailed for 17 months after raiding a Bradford dental surgery and causing £4,500 loss and damage.

Bryan Carter stole a valuable camera and ten Amazon Fire tablets when he broke in by smashing a window, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Carter, 48, of Laverton Road, East Bowling, Bradford, pleaded guilty to burgling Eccleshill Dental Practice on Institute Road overnight on November 8, 2019.

Prosecutor Jade Edwards said his blood was found around the broken window. He pulled the alarm off the wall and left a screwdriver behind in the reception area.

Carter damaged roof tiles in the break-in and made off with a camera used in dental work, the Amazon Fire tablets and petty cash. The stolen property amounted to almost £3,000, the court was told.

Carter had 19 previous convictions for 33 offences, including matters of dishonesty, but nothing for burglary.

Miss Edwards said the offence had caused the dental surgery a significant degree of economic loss. The practice had to pay the £250 excess on the insurance claim.

Carter had gone equipped for burglary by taking the screwdriver with him.

He had committed less serious offences since then, being sentenced to a community order for handling stolen goods.

In mitigation, the court heard that Carter apologised unreservedly for breaking into the premises.

He had taken a cocktail of drugs and had little or no recollection of committing the offence.

He had long-standing mental health problems and was self-medicating at the time rather than seeking the professional help available to him.

The burglary was now 16 months old and Carter was doing well on the community order.

He had rebuilt ties with his family and was soon to become a grandfather.

He had a settled address with his partner who was his registered carer.

The court heard that the probation service was willing to work with him to address his underlying mental health problems and issues with drugs.

Judge Jonathan Rose said Carter had taken a screwdriver with him that night to burgle “what was quite clearly a dental surgery.”

He had stolen a very expensive camera and tablets for use in the running of the practice.
Last year, he went on to commit other offences, including handling stolen goods, showing that he was not capable of rehabilitation.

Judge Rose jailed Carter for 16 months for the burglary with a month to run consecutively for breaching a community order.