Prolific Corby Burglar Writes Off Customer's Car Stolen from Autoglass Shop

A motorist was left shocked and empty-handed after a prolific Corby burglar broke into an Autoglass repair shop, stole her car as it sat waiting for a routine windscreen chip repair, and subsequently wrote it off in a crash.

The incident, which took place in early September 2024, involved a repeat offender who targeted the Autoglass service center in Corby. The suspect managed to breach the security of the commercial workshop overnight. Once inside, he located the keys to a customer's vehicle that had been left in the bay for a simple resin chip repair.

Joyride Ends in Total Destruction

Instead of receiving the simple glass repair, the owner of the vehicle was contacted by police with the news that her car had been stolen and written off. Following the theft, the burglar drove the vehicle recklessly through Corby, ultimately crashing and causing extensive structural damage. Insurance assessors quickly deemed the vehicle a total loss (write-off) due to the severity of the impact.

Northamptonshire Police launched a swift investigation, using forensic evidence recovered from the Autoglass workshop and tracking the vehicle's final movements via ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras. The prolific burglar, who has a history of similar offenses in the Northamptonshire area, was arrested and charged with commercial burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a license.

The defendant was brought before Northampton Crown Court, where he was remanded in custody. The case has highlighted security concerns for vehicles left overnight at local repair facilities.