A brave householder was praised by a crown court r

A brave householder was praised by a crown court recorder
for grabbing a top burglar as he prowled his home in the dead
of night.

Prolific house raider Adam Campbell – though only 20 –
admitted a staggering 74 burglaries on homes in Chelsea and
Fulham.

Campbell, of Clem Attlee Estate, Fulham, netted a total of
some pnds stlg 31,400 worth of property and cash to feed his
cocaine addiction, Southwark Crown Court was told.

He specialised in getting into homes in the middle of the
night – as occupants slept – by expertly slipping locks.

Campbell, also known as Cones, was given 33 months youth
detention on Thursday by Recorder David Radford who told
him: ‘The public needs to be protected from serious harm by you.

‘
He added: ‘I accept that there was never any
violence or wanton damage on entry or any destruction once
inside, and I am satisfied you did it to feed your cocaine
addiction – but none of that is any comfort to the people
whose property you stole and which has never been recovered.

‘
His crime spree spanned September, 1990, to November 16
last year when he made the mistake of burgling the home of
31-year-old company director Neil Murphy in Cremorne Road,
Fulham.

Powerfully-built Campbell and an accomplice – not before
the court – prowled the house at two o’clock in the morning
as Mr Murphy and his wife and two young children slept.

They woke up ‘in considerable apprehension’ realising
somebody was in their home.

‘But notwithstanding that, Mr.

Murphy took immediate
action,’ said the recorder in commending his bravery.

‘Through him, and only through him, was Campbell apprehended
and arrested.

‘
The recorder awarded him pnds stlg 100 from public funds
as a ‘token of his courage.

‘
Mr Murphy, who was not in court to hear the praise, will
be presented with the cheque by the High Sheriff of the
City of London at a later date.

ENDS