A wheelchair-using burglar and thief has succeeded in getting himself locked up with a desire to get himself clear off drugs.

David Lawrence went on a short crime spree around Middlesbrough town centre targeting a parked car, a mosque, and a hotel, to steal laptops, rucksacks, and vehicle documents.

The 47-year-old’s first offence took place on February 24 when he smashed a window of a Ford Fiesta parked in Wood Street car park and stole the registration documents for the car and causing £170 worth of damage.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Lawrence then stole two laptops and a rucksack after wheeling himself into a mosque on Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, on February 28 while worshippers were called to prayer.

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Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the victim of the theft spotted the defendant after recognising him from CCTV footage from inside the mosque and followed him to a property on Park Lane South where he was later arrested.

The court heard how Lawrence then burgled the Leonardo hotel on Fry Street, in Middlesbrough, and helped himself to a backpack before the man was spotted by a member of staff.

He added: “She realised her backpack was missing and bizarrely the defendant left his own backpack behind. She chased him and found him and said - ‘you have got my backpack’ and he told her she could have back.”

The police were called and he was arrested again.

The court heard how he has 47 convictions for 204 offences.

The Northern Echo: David LawrenceDavid Lawrence (Image: Cleveland Police)

Lawrence, whose address was given as HMP Durham, pleaded guilty to burglary and two counts of theft.

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Tabitha Buck, mitigating, said her client had his leg amputated after seriously injuring himself in a motorbike accident and had lost his job as a personal trainer.

She added: “He wanted to be arrested, he wanted to get himself back into the system and he finds himself now with significantly better clarity in his life.”

Recorder Robert Ward jailed the defendant for a total of 21 months for all offences.

He said: “Your terrible history of offending has significantly aggravated these latest offences.”