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Prolific burglar jailed after going on ‘spending spree’ with stolen cards

Andrew James Minskip
@ Crime

A prolific offender who burgled houses and went on a spending spree with stolen bankcards has been jailed for over six years.

Andrew Minskip, 37, appeared in the dock this week accused of breaking into a house in Alness Drive, York, on 29 August 2019.

Just before discovering the burglary, the homeowners were alerted by their bank that there had been a number of fraudulent transactions on their bankcard during the day.

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Minskip was later identified by police officers on CCTV using the stolen bankcard in local newsagents.

He was tracked by a police dog the following week in the vicinity of a second burglary at the Buckles Inn on the A64 and arrested.

Five burglaries

The Buckles Inn on the A64 near York. Photograph © Google Street View
Following an investigation, Minskip was charged with the burglaries on Alness Drive and at the Buckles Inn, in addition to three others at houses on Lycett Road, in Skiddaw and Strensall Park.

He was also charged with two thefts, two counts of fraud and one count of driving with no insurance – all committed between 10 August 2019 and 7 September 2019.

Another man, 39 year-old Richard Sampson, was also caught after officers recognised him on CCTV using the bankcard from the Alness Drive burglary on a separate occasion, and was charged with two burglaries and two counts of fraud.


On Wednesday 15 January, at York Crown Court, Minskip, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty and was jailed for six years and three months. He was also ordered to pay a victims surcharge of £181.

Sampson, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to the two frauds and was jailed for seven months.

Victims’ trauma

York Crown Court. Photograph: Richard McDougall
Commenting on the sentences, Investigating officer DC Kyle Boad of North Yorkshire Police’s Expedite team said:

  • Minskip burgled his victims’ homes, helping himself to their personal possessions and bank cards before fraudulently using them to go on a spending spree around York. It was only a matter of time until we located and arrested him.

    Whilst no-one was hurt in this case, the trauma of knowing someone has broken into your home can’t be underestimated – the impact of burglary is devastating and long lasting for victims.

    Neither MInskip nor Sampson showed any remorse for their actions and denied all involvement in their crimes throughout the investigation. I hope that this outcome will provide some comfort to their victims in the knowledge that they are both behind bars where they belong.

What to do if you have been burgled

Ring 999 if you believe the offender is still in your house or has just run away; if not use the 101 number. You will be given a crime number to quote in an insurance claim, or if you want to contact police with any follow-up queries.

Try to preserve the crime scene for any forensic evidence that may be of use to the police. If possible, do not touch anything or allow your children or pets into the same rooms that the burglar has been in.

For more advice visit northyorkshire.police.uk/homesecurity