An Edgware man who pleaded guilty to burglary and attempted robbery committed last year has been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.

John Alwin Newman, 53, of Great Field, Edgware, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on January 18, receiving 15 months for attempted robbery and three months for the burglary to run consecutively.

The burglary charge was for an incident on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 4pm.

Newman’s female victim returned to her flat in Warner Close, Edgware, to find the television was missing, furniture had been knocked over and the lock on the front door was broken.

The victim rushed to get her brother who was waiting for her outside the block of flats and saw her TV on a lower floor.

As her brother was helping her to take the TV back to her flat, she saw two open carrier bags on the stairwell which contained her laptop and other electronic equipment.

She called the police who attended the scene.

While police were at the scene Newman was seen returning to the flats, was arrested on suspicion of the crime and later charged and pleaded guilty.

In the second charge of attempted robbery, on August 22, 2011, a female pensioner, 71, was walking on Chesterfield Road, Barnet, when Newman approached her and tried to snatch a bag containing her purse.

The elderly victim resisted, and when threatened by Newman told him there were police behind him and he fled.

The woman provided a detailed description of Newman and the clothes he was wearing and later identified him.