A burglar who broke into a home in Hatfield and was tracked by a police dog has been sentenced to four years in prison.
William Olave, 28, of Millwards, Hatfield appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Thursday, January 18.
At 2am on Tuesday, August 1, Olave broke into the home and the occupant heard a noise and found Olave upstairs at which point he ran from the address.
The police were called and five-year-old German Shepherd Oz and his handler were called to assist with the search.
Oz led his handler from the back fence into a park, through alleyways, passing numerous houses, crossing a main road before entering a communal parking area.
The pooch sniffed his way around the parked cars and led his handler up to the front door of a block of flats.
A door was found ajar and Olave was found and arrested.
Head of the BCH Dog Unit, chief inspector Louise Angel said: “This is another example of how our highly trained dogs and handlers can assist colleagues around the three counties.
“Oz and his handler’s positive response led to the prompt apprehension of a burglar who had targeted elderly people in the middle of the night, which would have been a terrifying ordeal.
“I am very appreciative of the support the Dog Unit offers and am very proud of their work.”
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