Oxford college burglar sent down for three-and-a-half years

Graham Woollett was on the run from an open prison in Derbyshire when he snuck into Exeter and Oriel Colleges in March last year.

The 46-year-old was serving a sentence for burglary when he walked out of HMP Sudbury in September 2020. He was then at large for six months.

Woollett broke into a student’s room in Exeter College on the afternoon of March 14, 2021. He stole bank cards that were later used at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and a newsagent’s in the city.

Three days later, a student was in her room in Oriel College when she turned round to find the ‘homeless-looking’ burglar standing by the door. He’d got through two sets of doors.

CCTV showed him wandering around both colleges and using the bank cards in the three shops.

Shortly after he broke into Oriel, he was found asleep in Bonn Square. Arrested then interviewed, he answered no comment to the questions officers asked of him.

Woollett, of Southcote Road, Reading, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and three charges of fraud by false representation.

He had 20 convictions for 63 offences. They included 15 offences of dwelling house burglary and 12 non-domestic break-ins, making him a ‘third striker’ and subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of three years’ imprisonment. His first domestic burglary conviction dated back to 1999.

In 2019, he was sentenced to three years and four months for a string of break-ins. He burgled the Taylorian Library, Keble College and Wadham College.

Jailing him for three years and nine months on Friday, Recorder Michael Roques described Woollett’s record as ‘horrific’ and added: “That is the shortest sentence I could possibly give you in the circumstances.”

As he went down, the defendant told the judge: “Thank you very much. Cheers.”

Graham Woollett's 2019 custody shot Picture: TVP

Mitigating, Derek Barry said his client was ‘realistic’ about his chances.  

But he asked the judge to take into account the work Woollett had done in prison, welcoming new inmates and tackling his drug addiction.

Mr Barry said: “It is good, strong, powerful mitigation. Perhaps more than that it may give the court an insight into where he is right now and whether there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in the future and whether the court could in the circumstances divert from what at first blush I accept is an automatic mandatory three years – perhaps more.”

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