Burglar breaks into house, accidentally leaves wallet on kitchen table

A burglar who was infamously found in Greggs just minutes after a public appeal has raised eyebrows once again after a break-in ended in spectacular failure.

Last week, police launched a public appeal to find Stevie Bakewell, who was spotted just ten minutes later in Greggs, snacking on a sausage roll, where he was promptly arrested. However, he later received no further action.

Now, his latest blunder comes after he accidentally left behind the most incriminating piece of evidence possible—his own wallet, complete with ID—following a break-in at a house in Mile End on Monday night.

The hapless thief, who police say “isn’t exactly criminal mastermind material,” managed to rummage through drawers and pocket a few valuables before making his getaway—only to realise, too late, that he’d left something behind.

“It was all going well for him until he apparently decided to take a break and put his wallet down on the kitchen table,” said PC Copper, who responded to the call.

“Then, in an impressive display of absent-mindedness, he left without it. I suppose we should be grateful he saved us the trouble of investigating.”

The homeowners, who had been out for the evening, returned to find their belongings disturbed and the wallet sitting neatly next to the kettle.

“At first, we thought maybe a friend had popped round and left it behind,” said Dave, the owner. “Then we realised our TV was missing, and it all made a bit more sense.”

After a brief moment of confusion, the couple called the police, who were able to track down the suspect in record time. Officers found him at his own home, reportedly still searching for his misplaced wallet.

“He seemed quite relieved when we handed it back to him,” PC Copper added. “Less so when we put him in the back of the car.”

Neighbours have since weighed in on the incident, with one describing it as “the least surprising thing to happen this year.”

“Honestly, I’m just glad he remembered to leave,” said Linda, who lives a few doors down. “I wouldn’t have been shocked if he’d tucked himself into bed and stayed the night.”

Police confirmed the man has since been arrested on suspicion of burglary and exceptionally poor life choices, again.

A spokesperson reminded would-be criminals to at least try and make things challenging. “We appreciate it when they make our jobs easier, but really, this was just embarrassing.”