A bungling burglar accidentally left a trail of clues at all six places he broke into – including two hats, two hammers, a screwdriver and a glove.
David Clift, 41, was jailed for two years after he left his DNA in every premises he attempted to burgle.
The forgetful criminal from Salisbury, Wiltshire, left behind a baseball cap at one address and a woolly hat at another.
In the other four, he left the very tools he used to break-in, including the hammers, a screwdriver and a glove – normally used by criminals to stop police from identifying them from their DNA and fingerprints.
He was jailed at Salisbury Crown Court after admitting to attempted burglary and five counts of burglary in the city.
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During his spree, he caused around £5,500 damage to two church buildings, while also taking £30 from a flower fund, alcohol and cash.
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On June 15, WokWow noodle bar was broken into and a safe and till float containing a total of £230 were stolen.
Police who were called found a woolly hat with blundering Clifts DNA on it.
He also broke into Salisbury Lawn Tennis Club, stealing a television and causing more than £1,500 of damage to doors and shutters. A plastic glove was found by forensics officers, which belonged to Clift.
And the next day, on June 27, a Speedyprint store was broken into several consoles, games and cash were stolen. On this occasion, Clift had forgotten to take home a screwdriver, which tested positive for his DNA.
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On July 4, Clift broke into a home by smashing a window, and despite leaving without taking anything, managed to drop a baseball cap inside the living room which once again matched his DNA.
Inspector Pete Sparrow, of Wiltshire Police, said: Clift was a one-man crime wave.
He attacked premises with determination but on every occasion he left behind an item of clothing or an item used to gain access to the buildings, which helped us link each incident and trace them back to Clift.
In most of the incidents, he caused substantial damage to premises, especially at the church where the damage was estimated to cost in excess of £4,000.
We will not tolerate this behaviour and will leave no stone unturned in investigating crimes of this nature.
I hope his time in jail is spent reflecting on his behaviour.
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