A man has admitted to the so-called 'two-in-one' burglary of a house from where he took the keys to a car parked outside, in which he then drove away from the scene.

But Stephen Kenneth Ambler is to seek the dismissal of further charges, alleging that he took part in a robbery at a Chinese takeaway premises and the attempted burglary of a garage attached to a domestic property.

Appearing via vide link to Durham Crown Court from HMP Hull, where he is on remand, the 45-year-old defendant admitted the burglary of a residential property in Westmoreland Rise, Peterlee, from where he stole a set of car keys, on February 21, this year.

He also admitted the theft of a Honda Civic car from outside that address, on the same date.

But, following a request by the defendant’s counsel, Helen Towers, further charges were not put to her client.

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These allege that he took part in a robbery at a Chinese takeaway restaurant premises, in Beverley Way, Peterlee, in which a quantity of cash was taken from an assistant, on February 15, and an attempted burglary, intending to steal from a domestic garage attached to a house, in Warwick Place, Peterlee, also on February 21.

Miss Towers said she would seek to have those two counts dismissed at a hearing to be staged at the court, next month.

As a fail-safe, a date was set for a trial on those charges, of an estimated two-days duration, starting on June 18.

The Northern Echo:

Judge Richard Bennett adjourned the hearing and further remanded the defendant, of Windermere Road, South Hetton, to remain in custody pending those two hearings.

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Should the case dismissal applications succeed at the court, on May 16, there will be no need for the trial on June 18.

A second defendant accused of the robbery at the takeaway, Brian Philip Stevenson, 36, also from South Hetton, has previously admitted the charge, as well as having an offensive weapon, a knife, during the incident on February 15.

He is to be sentenced at a hearing date yet to be fixed and, until then, remains remanded in custody at Durham Prison.