A career criminal who left a pensioner terrified when he tried to break into her home twice in a matter of weeks has been locked up.

Carl Finn has racked up more than 230 offences in the last 20 years to fund his Class A drug habit.

The 42-year-old went a crime spree earlier this year when he targeted a number of businesses and a hospital to steal cash, mobile phones and even charity boxes.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Finn was identified by CCTV footage after he carried out ten offences in a matter of weeks, including stealing £4,500 in cash from Ormesby Institute.

Recorder Paul Reid branded the defendant’s crimes as despicable as he jailed him for 40 months.

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“You have been convicted of 225 offences, now 235, in the main for dishonestly but some violence as well,” he said.

“You have caused untold misery to the people you have taken from or property you have violated by burgling it. You have been sentenced to periods of imprisonment totalling 20 years – none of that has stopped you committing these unpleasant offences.”

The Northern Echo: Carl Finn. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICECarl Finn. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICE

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the attempted burglaries at the pensioner’s Middlesbrough home were both caught on CCTV and the ordeal had left the victim traumatised.

She said the defendant’s latest crime spree started in March when he stole the cash from Ormesby Institute – the £4,500 was never recovered.

Miss Atkinson said Finn then targeted the pensioner’s home for the first time in April when the victim was awoken by a notification on her phone from her CCTV system as he tried to break into her property.

The court heard how the woman recognised the defendant as he was relative of a neighbour.

He then broke into St Gabriel’s Catholic Church, Allendale Road, on April 21 when he stole a number of items. He was identified after leaving blood at the scene and arrested before a suspended sentence was activated in May.

Shortly after he was released, Finn targeted James Cook University Hospital on July 2 and stole two charity boxes from the kitchen area.

Miss Atkinson said Finn then broke into the Astor Care Home in Middlesbrough and stole a mobile phone from the staffroom.

On July 11, Finn then carried out a theft and burglary at the Family Shopper store when he swiped hundreds of pounds worth of chocolate and steak before trying to steal from the till.

The following day the defendant carried out three further offences - a burglary of the Poverina Inn, in Normanby, where he stole £150 from a coat pocket.

Finn targeted the pensioner’s home again when he tried to open her front door and shouted her name through the letterbox before trying to open a window to break into the home.

His final offence was on July 14 when he returned to James Cook University Hospital and stole £220 in cash from the restaurant’s till after it closed.

Miss Atkinson said Finn has 225 convictions on his record, predominantly for burglary, theft and robbery.

Finn, of Frampton Green, pleaded guilty to seven commercial burglaries, two attempted burglaries and a theft from shop – all carried out earlier this year.

Vicky Lamballe, in mitigation, said her client’s criminal record is fuelled by his ‘entrenched’ drug addiction and has created a ‘career’ in burglary to fund his habit.

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