Man who burgled footballers jailed for over two years

A BURGLAR who plundered the homes of six star footballers has been jailed for two and a half years.

James Birch, 20, pleaded guilty yesterday to breaking into the home of Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek in Caldy, Merseyside, in June.

He also pleaded guilty to a second burglary, and asked a judge at Liverpool Crown Court to take into account seven more — five of them at the homes of other Premiership stars.

The victims were Liverpool’s Peter Crouch, Daniel Agger and on-loan Florent Sinama-Pongolle, and Everton’s Tony Hibbert and Andy Van der Meyde.

Realising that professional footballers meant rich pickings, and knowing when they were playing matches, Birch then began deliberately targeting their houses.

All the break-ins took place between June and October.