A man who was arrested seconds before fleeing the country after stealing thousands of pounds from his Feltham employer has been jailed.
Tajinderpal Singh, 48, of Beaconsfield Road, in Southall, broke into a convenience store on Saxon Avenue, in Feltham, and stole £19,000. He jailed for 16 months after admitting the crime at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday (February 12).
DC Darren Young, from Hounslow Borough CID, said: "This was an extremely fast-moving investigation.
"After being initially called to the burglary we then managed to confirm the identity of the suspect and within 12 hours he was arrested as he was due to board a plane to India on a one-way ticket.
"This result was due to great teamwork from officers across Hounslow borough.
"Not only did we manage to apprehend him the same day but the whole case has been concluded in just over two weeks.
"I hope this sentence will send a clear message to people who breach their positions of trust that the courts will deal with them severely."
On January 28, police were called to a shop on Saxon Avenue at around 8.15am by a member of staff who turned up to work to find the shop had been broken into. When the owner arrived he discovered the cash was missing.
CCTV footage showed the suspect breaking into the store and making off with the money.
Tajinder, who had been working at the shop for only a couple of weeks, had been identified by the owner, despite his face being covered, due to a distinctive limp which could be seen in the recording.
Within hours officers discovered the felon had booked a one-way flight to Delhi on the same evening, but police managed to get to Heathrow Airport and arrest him just before he boarded the plane.
Following his arrest, he was charged and remanded in custody before appearing at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on January 30.
