A BASINGSTOKE man has been found not guilty of aggravated burglary using a machete.

Jamie Chandler, 33, of Basingstoke, was accused of breaking into a Basingstoke home on November 27, 2022, and robbing £100 from a vulnerable person.

Chandler pleaded guilty to breaking into his house and taking £70 from him, but not guilty to aggravated burglary.

Following a two-day trial at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, July 6, the jury found that there was no evidence of Chandler carrying a machete when he broke into the home of the victim, whose name and address cannot be published for legal reasons.

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Prosecutor Adrian Fleming told the jury that the victim was sitting on a reclining armchair in the address watching a movie on the television at around 1.30am on November 27, 2022, when Chandler climbed into the flat through an open bedroom window.

The prosecution said Chandler wore a balaclava, black coat, and gloves and carried a machete.

“The man pointed the machete at the victim’s direction and demanded money. The victim had his wallet on a table near his chair. He was unsurprisingly terrified at this situation and handed over the cash to the man.

“The man then left the house through the front door after unlocking it from inside. The victim went and locked the door again and immediately called the police.”

The victim told police that Chandler had a machete of one metre in length in his right hand and it was made of shiny metal.

A police crime officer took samples from the window and it included some DNA and footprints, which matched with Chandler.

On February 18, 2023, he was arrested and one of the pairs of trainers found at his address matched the footprints near the window.

But no machete or balaclava were found at his address.

At the court, Chandler said that he did break into the victim’s house, but he never carried a machete or balaclava.

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Defence counsel Alexandra Chessum told the jury that police did not receive any other calls on that night about a man with a machete on the road.

The jury came back with a verdict in just an hour and said there was no evidence for aggravated burglary.

Recorder Richard Tutt gave credits to Chandler for pleading guilty to burglary at the earliest opportunity.

Chandler will be sentenced for the burglary offence on Thursday, August 31.

He will remain in custody until then.