Legal News

Naim Sassi, 29, with no fixed address, was caught when he was trying to escape by climbing through the front window of a house in Bridgewater road, Bedminster Down, where he and his accomplices had stolen a laptop and four cannabis plants.
The inside of the property was turned upside down during the targeted burglary which took place just 15 minutes before midnight on Monday.
The Tunisian national was already having a warrant issued in his name for his arrest for separate allegations when he committed the crime and later pleaded guilty to burglary and theft at Bristol Magistrate’s court.
District Judge David Parsons deemed Sassi's offences as too serious for sentencing by magistrates and ordered him to appear at the city's Crown Court later this month. He is to remain in custody until then.
Police were initially called to the house in Bridgwater Road by a passer-by who spotted someone breaking in through a window.
Prosecuting, Laura Opie said that two youths were with Sassi as they ransacked the house, breaking a mirror, stealing the computer and drugs, and stowing them in a black BMW waiting in the driveway.
When the police arrived Sassi was still inside and was trying to get out through the window and when the officers approached Sassi asked them to help him and that he won’t run away. The burglary was deliberate and targeted Ms Opie said.
Mitigating, criminal solicitor told the court that the victim of the raid was an ex-girlfriend of one of Sassi's accomplices.
He said that it would be right to say that Sassi had gone to another one’s ex-girlfriend and broke in through the rear of the property and took some plants.
The police attended and Mr Sassi was detained at the scene, where he made admissions to the police.
The criminal solicitor said Sassi was with his girlfriend and another accomplice along with the owner of the car which was waiting outside when the accomplice said that they should burgle the house of an ex-girlfriend because there were some cannabis plants there.
The defence lawyer added that Sassi, a refugee who came to the UK six years ago and has indefinite leave to remain, had been struggling with depression.
District Judge Parsons warned Sassi that he faces a prison term when he is sentenced at Bristol Crown Court later this month.