A burglar has been jailed after eagle-eyed detectives spotted his bushy sideburns on CCTV.
Dean Whyte, 52, first broke into a house in Nottinghamshire making off with two purses, personal documents and £450 cash.
He then tried to break into a nearby property in Worksop, Nottingham, five days later.
The thief, from Derby, was seen on footage trying to conceal his appearance with a hat and scarf.
But officers analysing the footage recognised Whyte’s side-whiskers and sharp cheek-bones peeking under the cap.
He was also seen wearing a colourful puffer jacket and using a stolen bank card.
When he was arrested three days later, he was still wearing the brightly-coloured puffer jacket.
A backpack and gloves found during a search of his home also linked him to the crimes.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court, Whyte – still sporting the sideburns – plead guilty to one count of burglary and one of attempted burglary.
He was jailed for four and a half years.
Detective Constable Philipp James, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘This case was a timely reminder about the value of domestic security cameras to investigators.
‘By closely analysing the footage recorded we were able to conclusively link Whyte to both offences by the items we sized from him at the time of his address.
‘And if that wasn’t enough, we were even able to use his own sideburns to help convict him of these offences.
‘I am pleased he has now pleaded guilty and hope this sentence offers some comfort to the victims who had their homes and lives violated by a man they had never met.’
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