A man who burgled a house to steal a set of car keys, then waited out of sight until the owner left so he could take the vehicle has been jailed.

Mason Curley put his hand through the letter box at the address in Murton on Sunday, October 15 and took the keys before hiding out of sight.

He waited until the owner had left the address before returning to take the car.The Northern Echo:

The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to burglary at Durham Crown Court last week and was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

Detective Inspector Darren Wild, of Peterlee CID, said: “Burglary can have a huge impact on the victims, their families, and the whole community.

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“Mason Curley did not care about his victims and thankfully, he now has had to face the consequences of his actions.

“Hopefully his victims can take some comfort in the knowledge that he is now behind bars.”