A young burglar is back behind bars after a one-night spree trying to break into homes in a County Durham town.

Jack Riddell has served previous sentences for both domestic and other break-ins, in his home town of Spennymoor and elsewhere in the county.

Among them was a burglary at Durham School in September 2022, when he took keys to the school minibus, which he then drove off in, in the direction of Spennymoor, for which he received an eight-month sentence, in June last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that in his latest bout of offending he targeted houses in Sedgefield, all on the night of Wednesday March 27, this year.

The Northern Echo: Jack Riddell jailed at Durham Crown Court for spree of burglary attempts in Sedgefield, on the

Properties in Winterton Avenue, Russell Close and off Old Durham Road were the subject of his burglary attempts.

But not long after the offences were committed, Riddell was pinpointed as the perpetrator after being identified by police investigators from checks of CCTV and ring doorbell cam footage at the targeted properties.

He was found and arrested in nearby Fishburn only a few hours after the spree.

The Northern Echo:

The 22-year-old defendant, of Sledmere Drive, Spennymoor, went before magistrates on March 30, when the case was sent to Durham Crown Court.

Riddell appeared at the crown court for a plea hearing, on Wednesday (May 1), via video link from HMP Hull, where he has been detained on remand.

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

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When the charges were put to him he admitted burglary with intent to steal, at the address in Winterton Avenue, plus two counts of attempted burglary with intent to steal, at the properties in Russell Close and Old Durham Road.

Giving him credit for his guilty pleas, Judge Jo Kidd imposed concurrent sentences of two years and eight months (32 months) for each of the offences, of which he will serve up to half behind bars before his release on licence.

Upon his release he will also have to pay a £228 statutory court surcharge.