DETECTIVES hunting a man who had been on the run for almost two years were astonished to get a telephone call out of the blue from the man they had been chasing.
Sean Bowman, 44, a martial arts teacher in Sutton wanted for two counts of burglary, called the officers on February 20 saying: "Let's play cops and robbers. I've been wanted for two years. Come and find me if you can."
Detective Constable Ian Griffith and Detective Sergeant James Knight had been making inquiries about Bowman's whereabouts in the weeks leading up to the call.
"We had obviously touched a nerve somewhere and that had prompted the call to us," said DC Griffith.
Unfortunately for Bowman his call led to new enquiries which led police to his girlfriend's address in Horley, Surrey, a day later.
They found Bowman, who had been running himself a bath when the officers knocked on the front door, hiding in a bedroom wardrobe. He was promptly arrested.
Bowman had been wanted since March 2011 for an assault on a woman in the car park at the Butterchurn pub, Erskine Road, Sutton, for which he received a caution.
He was also wanted by police for two non-residential burglaries.
The first burglary was at PTS Plumbers Merchants, Slyfield Industrial Estate, Guildford, on July 25 last year when Bowman grabbed a boxed, Bosch boiler worth £1,400 from inside the entrance to the warehouse.
He put the boiler in the boot of his car and drove off.
The second burglary was at an electrical warehouse at City Electrical Factors, Barwell Business Park, Chessington, on January 3 when Bowman drove up, entered the premises and stole a large cardboard box containing £1,000 worth of lighting equipment ordered by another customer before driving off.
CCTV showed Bowman at both venues stealing the goods.
At Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court on February 22 he was ordered to pay a total of £429 in fines, compensation and court costs after pleading guilty to the burglaries.
