A BURGLAR and previous regular offender has been given a chance to show he can stay on the straight and narrow.

The opportunity was extended to David Hogg, following his recent conviction for the burglary of the home of a retired man in St Helen Auckland, County Durham.

The now 40-year-old defendant, of Maude Terrace, Bishop Auckland, was said to have smashed a rear window of a bungalow in Finchale Square, before entering and taking five packets of tobacco, two sleeves of cigarettes and £100 in cash, said to be worth a total of £280.

Durham Crown Court heard the resident, who was asleep in the property at the time, believes the offence took place between 1 and 2am, on Wednesday March 18, 2020.

Oliver Connor, prosecuting, said Hogg was interviewed more than three months later and claimed to have no knowledge of the break-in.

He denied a charge of burglary but was found guilty following a trial before County Durham and Darlington magistrates, in February, this year.

Read more: Bishop Auckland man stole £250 worth of tobacco and cash

A District Judge sitting at the magistrates’ court last month decided to commit the sentencing of the case to the crown court as his powers were insufficient.

Appearing at the scheduled sentencing hearing today (Wednesday April 6), the court was told Hogg has 30 past convictions for 53 offences, including 16 previous crimes in the “dishonesty” bracket, including burglary and theft.

Shaun Dryden, in mitigation, said a combination of the court backlog caused by the Covid pandemic and the defendant taking the case to trial, meant it is now more than two years since the offence.

Mr Dryden said in that time the defendant has served a 20-month sentence for an intervening offence of trying to pass a drug package onto a friend serving a prison sentence at HMP Northumberland.

“His problem, in the past, has been an addiction to class A drugs, particularly heroin.”

Referring to the contents of a Probation Service report into his background, Mr Dryden told Recorder Ben Nolan: “Since his release from prison, on September 16, 2021, you will see the progress regarding his lifestyle.

“He’s made excellent progress. We seem to have here a complete change in attitude.

“There have been no concerns made by the Probation Service and he’s managed to secure full-time employment for the first time in many years, which is going well.

“He has his drug habit under control. He’s taking methadone, but no illegal drugs at the moment.

“Since his release he has done everything to change his lifestyle, avoiding all past associates.

“But, we have this old offence potentially coming back to derail all the good progress he has made.”

Recorder Nolan said it can be put to the test by a deferral of sentence.

He bailed Hogg and said he wants an updated probation report on him to see if he can continue to make good progress.

Hogg will have to return to court to be sentenced on Monday November 7.

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