Stechford burglar jailed and other latest Birmingham news (Monday October 18)

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Stechford burglar jailed

Stechford burglar who police found hiding in a loft after he went on the run has been jailed

Scott Taylor was sentenced to eight years and 10 months in prison at Birmingham Crown Court last Tuesday for a burglary in April in which the homeowner was stabbed in the leg. His arrest was a result of an anonymous call made to the force after they issued an appeal .

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A man in his 50s was upstairs when he heard someone forcing their way in and looked out of his bedroom window to see four people at the front door.

As he walked downstairs, the man was struck across the kneecap with a knife. Taylor and the men then made off in a Volvo along with several electronic items.

Officers got to work straight away and carried out a forensic examination of the home in Felton Croft the following day.

They found a mobile phone belonging to the man discarded on a road nearby thanks to a tracking app, which was submitted to forensics, and recovered a fingerprint on the device matching Taylor.

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Officers also matched forensics and fingerprints from the lock that fell off the door at Priestland Road to Taylor.

Having collected more evidence, attempts were made to arrest Taylor but he went on the run. Police put out a wanted appeal on their social media channels and this led to an anonymous call on his whereabouts.

Taylor was found by officers hiding in the loft of an address on Folliott Road.

Councils spend millions helping people on benefits with their housing

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Councils in the Black Country - including Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall - have spent millions helping people on benefits with their housing costs – and demand could rise as government financial support for the pandemic comes to an end.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions have revealed that local authorities in the area handed out a combined £4.7m in discretionary housing payments in 2020/21. The payments are top-ups given out by councils with the aim of preventing an increase in homelessness.

Weather forecast

Showers likely, Highs of 16 overnight lows around 7.

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