A BURGLAR who used his mobility scooter to help him shift £500 worth of stolen paint has been jailed.

Donovan Moore tried to sell some of the paint to a passing motorist who called the police suspecting the goods were stolen.

Jemima Stephenson, prosecuting, said the defendant broke into the compound of B&M in Darlington and loaded the paint into a shopping trolley before making off.

She said: "The defendant was found by the police and he had the trolley with the paint with him while he was in his mobility scooter. He didn't answer any of their questions."

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 44-year-old had 40 theft convictions on his record and was in breach of a suspended sentence at the time the latest offence.

Moore, of Wilson Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to burglary on October 16 this year.

Chris Morrison, in mitigation, called on the judge to not impose an immediate custodial sentence after making progress on his suspended sentence despite his mental health difficulties.

He said: "This is an offence he has very little recollection of or very little purpose for either – there was absolutely nothing to suggest it was anything other than opportunistic.

"There certainly wasn't anyone lined up for the sale of something as niche as house paint.

"It was an offence which was a pointless in its commission as it was clumsy in its execution."

Judge Chris Smith sentenced Moore to a total of 16 months in prison for the burglary and breach of a suspended sentence.

"That court order was imposed just 12 days before he went on the burgle this B&M store," he said.

"You were told to keep yourself out of trouble for a period of a year – you couldn't manage a year; you couldn't manage a month; you couldn't even manage a fortnight before the temptation to re-offend, you found it to be irresistible."

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