4 days Ago By [email protected] (Mark Naylor)
Telltale splashes of blood left at the scene of a heartless Valentine's Day burglary trapped a drug-addicted grandfather who cynically raided a 25-year-old woman's house and stole treasured and irreplaceable jewellery. Father-of-seven Karl Gibson had a long history of burglary spanning decades and he was "well familiar with the devastation" that was caused to the victims of his break-in offences, Hull Crown Court heard. Gibson, 55, of Irenes Avenue, off Chanterlands Avenue, west Hull, admitted an offence of burglary on February 14.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that a woman was working away in Leeds but she had sensors at her home in James Reckitt Avenue, east Hull, and these activated. She asked her father to go round there to check. He found living room drawers wide open and a door had been kicked in.
A utility room window had been smashed as a way of getting in. A large amount of jewellery, valued at £400 to £500, had been stolen and the damage was estimated at £1,445. The woman later said: "I felt panicked when the alarms kept going off.
" She now felt scared and panicked while she was at home and, since the burglary, she had been living with her parents because of the impact of the break-in on her. Among the jewellery taken were items that had belonged to her grandmother, who died in 2023. "These items clearly had sentimental value," said Mr Welch.
"The defendant was identified by blood left at the scene of the offence." Gibson made no comment during police interview. He had a long list of previous convictions, including at least five domestic burglary offences.
Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Gibson was released from his most recent prison sentence on October 22 but he had now been recalled to custody until October next year. "He did stay out of trouble for four months on his release," said Miss Thompson. Gibson, originally from London, suffered two bereavements and things escalated when he got involved with the wrong people and turned to drugs.
"He is doing work to tackle his drug use," said Miss Thompson. "He recognises that he needs to get out of this circle. He has previously worked as a drug counsellor.
He is trying his best. He is apologetic for what happened. He was in a horrendous cycle of drug use.
" Gibson had previously worked in the fish trade. He had seven children aged between 36 and 16 and he had four grandchildren. Judge John Thackray KC told Gibson: "You have been coming before the courts, having committed offences of dwelling house burglary, for decades.
You will be well familiar with the devastation that dwelling house burglary causes. Some people never recover from having their homes burgled like this." Gibson was jailed for five years.
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