Spalding burglary: man sentenced

DNA found on an elderly gentleman’s walking stick has helped secure justice.

Georgel Cimbala, 34, of Winsover Road, Spalding, has today been sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court to four years and two months in prison for burglary.  

A 94-year-old man, the owner of the walking stick, used it to fight off Cimbala during a burglary at his home on The Parkway in Spalding on 18 June. This brave act meant that the stick would later prove instrumental in the conviction of the intruder when it was later recovered and found to have Cimbala’s DNA on it.

CCTV was obtained, a public appeal for information issued, and Cimbala was identified as a suspect. He was arrested on July 7 and charged in the early hours of July 8.

Cimbala pleaded guilty to the offence which occurred on the 18 June. He was also sentenced in relation to a burglary attempt which occurred on the same date at Hawthorne Bank.

DI Richard Nethercott said, “This involved some tenacious and meticulous police work to bring Cimbala to court today. It’s a credit to the officers involved that justice has been secured for an elderly and vulnerable victim. I would also like to thank the public for their support and assistance when the initial appeal went out for their quick and helpful response.”