A TAKEAWAY manager has told of his desperate struggle to collar a night time burglar attempting to flee through an air duct with his pockets stuffed with stolen cash.

Mohammed Faheem detained Timothy Hempsey who had ransacked Burger Time and its neighbour, Cafe East in Great Horton Road, Bradford, in the early hours of January 8.

Hempsey, who had 19 previous convictions for burglary and attempted burglary at commercial premises, was sentenced for four further offences at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

He was committing burglaries on bail when Mr Faheem, 37, who runs Burger Time, ran down an alleyway in the early hours to catch him.

Mr Faheem said: "He was climbing out and I pushed him down behind the bins. He had a screwdriver and he was trying to jump the wall.

"I shouted for assistance, and for someone to call the police, and a security guard from the university came to help me.

"I wasn't scared but I wasn't prepared for that to happen to me. I am now wary in the mornings when I open up the shop in case someone is in there."

During yesterday's sentencing hearing the court was told Hempsey was very frank with arresting officers.

When they asked for his clothes at the police station, he replied: "Seize 'em. I could not be more bang to rights."

The court heard that he was a prolific burglar who raided 'anything and everything' fromBradford retailers.

He pleaded guilty to four commercial burglaries and asked for 26 further offences to be taken into consideration.

Judge David Hatton QC spared him an immediate prison sentence, telling him: "You are very fortunate. Don't mess it up."

Hempsey, 25, formerly of Dudley Hill, Bradford, but now living at Melbourne Street, Morley, broke into Maxwize Motor Factors in Otley Road, overnight on July 14 last year.

Prosecutor David Lampitt said he pulled a metal shutter off its rails and smashed a window to ransack the office.

Hempsey and an accomplice knocked the safe off the wall and fled with £1,550 cash.

He was traced through his DNA after leaving blood at the scene.

Arrested and on bail, Hempsey struck again, on December 31, at Aziz Fashions in Lilycroft Road. He forced his way in through an emergency door and made off with £600 cash and a laptop computer.

He had made an untidy search of Burger Time and adjoining Cafe East, and was escaping with about £1,000 cash, when he was caught by Mr Faheem.

Kam Dhesi, Hempsey's solicitor advocate, said his client had stolen "anything and everything", including hair products, cigarettes and an air conditioning unit.

His "don't care" attitude and unstable lifestyle had changed since he met his partner. She was expecting their child and he was keen to turn over a new leaf.

Hempsey was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with supervision, a drug rehabilitation requirement and 180 hours of unpaid work.

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