Homeless Darlington burglar jailed for stealing power tools

Michael Stewart arrived at the property in Darlington in the early hours of the morning before rummaging around inside the house to find the keys for the adjoining garage.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 34-year-old stole about £600 worth of power tools before fleeing the scene when the burglar alarm activated.

Anthony Pettengell, prosecuting, said Stewart stole the keys for a Mercedes at the same time leaving the owner £400 out of pocket when he had to replace the key after he worse forced to deactivate the stolen one.

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Mr Pettengell added: “Shortly after 5am, he entered the garage and left with power tools. He went back into the house and the alarm triggered, he left with a number of power tools worth between £600 and £700.”

He said there had been efforts to remove the television from the wall but the defendant had been alerted by the alarm ringing and fled before he could steal it.

The court heard how Stewart was not charged with the earlier burglary where the Honda Jazz was stolen from but was caught on CCTV driving the vehicle on the service station forecourt on Woodland Road at around 4.40am on August 5 this year.

Two days later he assaulted a police officer when he was being arrested.

Michael Stewart (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Stewart, of no fixed abode but from the Darlington area, pleaded guilty to burglary, driving whilst disqualified, assault on an emergency worker, driving without insurance, and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Calum McNicholas, mitigating, said his client was homeless at the time of the offence and was in the grip of a drug addiction but had worked hard whilst in custody to wean himself of illicit drugs.

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Judge Howard Crowson sentenced the defendant to a total of two years and five months for all offences.

He said: “You seem to be a man who has clearly taken advantage of the assistance whilst in custody, you went there as a man driven by addiction and you appear to have rid yourself of the physical grip and are working towards the help you can receive from its psychological grip.

“It maybe that upon your release that we may never have to meet again – I hope so. As you well know, if this continues there will be bigger sentences coming your way.”

Stewart was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim of the burglary.