Michael Leckenby stole from a woman who offered him help. He also committed burglary and possessed a blade, facing jail time.
This crime happened in Hull, at Hull Crown Court. Leckenby admitted to several crimes, including theft and burglary. He also admitted to possessing a blade and broke a community order, too.
The prosecutor, Maya Hanson, told the court what happened. On November 6th, Leckenby went to the woman’s home. She and her sister had been kind before, as they knew him for a couple of years. She offered to make him a sandwich and he asked for £10 of Pregabalin on the phone.
The woman heard a knock and left the room. When she returned, Leckenby had £10. She confronted him, but he denied it and even called her a “witch.” She later went shopping but did not have enough money to pay because the missing £10 caused her problems.
The burglary took place at Westbourne House hostel. Leckenby knocked repeatedly on a man’s door, then kicked it open. He stole a backpack, a sleeping bag, the man’s passport and ID card.
The resident returned to find the damage and noticed the missing items. Police recovered the backpack and sleeping bag, but the other items remained missing. The man felt afraid to leave his room and said he felt traumatized.
A woman left her motorhome in Sleights Close and went to Wales on holiday. When she returned, someone had broken into it and items were scattered all over the place. Cleaning staff found items at a hotel on Hedon Road.
Leckenby stayed at that hotel. He had no belongings when he checked in, but the items found later included gym equipment, sunglasses, and the woman’s passport.
Police saw Leckenby on December 3rd at Princes Avenue. He dropped a hacksaw and said it was a “Mickey Mouse saw,” claiming he had just bought it.
Leckenby has a long criminal history with 90 previous convictions, and 24 of those were for theft. He received a jail sentence back in 2019 for domestic burglary.
His lawyer, Oliver Shipley, spoke about the crimes, stating that these offenses were terrible and mean. He said that his client made very poor choices and could not explain his actions because he had no reason to do it.
Leckenby received Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments at the time. He had money coming in regularly, so there was no justification for his crimes. He did not even remember some of them.
Leckenby was on a path of self-destruction because he heavily used drugs and alcohol. He considered himself an alcoholic since 1996 and had turned to illicit substances after 2006. His head was elsewhere when he committed the crimes.
Nothing positive can be said about these offences. Leckenby has been in custody since December 14th. He realized he needs to change after he is released, and the court sentenced Leckenby to jail for two years and ten months.