Gloucester man jailed after leaving his fingerprints at the scene of a burglary

A prolific burglar has been jailed for more than six and a half years after leaving his fingerprints at the scene of a burglary in Gloucester.

Mark Hingley, aged 57 and of Worcester Street in Gloucester, was also recognised by a police officer after being captured on CCTV attempting to break into another property in the city.

Hingley forced entry to a property in the Elmbridge area on 28 August this year (2025) before stealing a number of items including a stereo, a record player, a number of watches and a Victoria sponge cake.

A forensic investigator from Gloucestershire Police attended the scene and found fingerprints on a kitchen bin lid, which were later matched to Hingley.

Later that day, Hingley attempted to break into another address in the same area.

The occupant of the property heard a noise at the front door and when he opened it, he witnessed a man walking down the driveway with a bike.

The victims provided CCTV footage to police which showed a man attempting to force the lock and try the front door. When the door did not open, the man pulled his sleeve down over his hand and wiped the doorknob.

Officers identified Hingley from the footage. He was subsequently arrested and a quantity of fake £20 notes were found in his possession.

During a search of his room, officers seized clothing matching those Hingley was wearing in the CCTV footage.

During a hearing at Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday 29 October, Hingley pleaded guilty to the burglary and attempted burglary and was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

PC Metcalf from the Gloucester Neighbourhood Support Team said: “Hingley’s repeat offending has impacted many people and caused untold misery. I am pleased that he is back behind bars and cannot cause any more harm in our community.

“We understand the impact these offences have on victims and we hope this court outcome reassures people that we do take all reports of burglary seriously and shows that we are committed to bringing offenders to justice.”