A serial shop thief and burglar was caught wandering around a warehouse next to an Asda store late at night, a court heard.

The Asda branch in Peterlee had reported suspected burglaries at its warehouse twice previously in the week prior to the offence, in August this year.

Durham Crown Court heard that the store is in an area covered by up to 50 cctv cameras, with security guards also on duty.

Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, told the court that the third break-in that week was reported late on the evening of August 23, when an intruder was reported to have entered the warehouse premises, attached to the store.

(Image: Northumbria Police/Google Street View) Miss Haugstad said defendant Merrick Ainslie was seen entering the warehouse through the main gate at 10.22pm.

He went upstairs, where he was disturbed by a member of staff and detained.

Ainslie was still wearing a face covering when police arrived at the premises to complete his arrest.

When interviewed, he refused to say whether or not it was him on cctv footage shown to him by police.

Miss Haugstad said the two previous break-ins were mentioned by her only because staff at the premises felt unsafe working in the warehouse as there appeared to be an element of knowledge that it was insecure.

By the time of his first court appearance, before magistrates three days after the offence, 31-year-old Ainslie, of Thirlmere Road, Peterlee, admitted a charge of non-dwelling burglary.

The case was sent to the crown court for sentence.

(Image: Northumbria Police)

Miss Haugstad told the sentencing hearing the defendant has 48 convictions for 95 past offences, including 52 for theft.

The most recent of those convictions  saw him receive a 54-month prison sentence for a house burglary in February 2020, with a subsequent shorter jail sentence for theft and assaulting an emergency worker.

Miss Haugstad said the Asda break-in was committed only two days after the defendant completed his post-sentence supervision period for that offence.

Annalisa Moscardini, in mitigation, said although the offence was at 10.20pm the adjoining store was still open to the public until midnight, so it was not a case where the premises was completely closed at the time.

"His account is that he was looking in bins outside, but he accepts it was a fenced off area.

"He saw a door open, went in and ran off when he saw staff inside.

"I would say he has gone into the back of a store when it was still open.

"He was apprehended quite quickly and did not have a substantial impact on anyone within the store."

Miss Moscardini said the defendant was someone who has had, "quite substantial drug problems over the years".

She told the court: "Initially it was a heroin addiction which he has addressed and he is on methadone to manage his use of it.

"But he now has an addiction with cocaine which is more problematic to deal with and his offending has been, effectively, to fund that use.

"He would wish for a drug rehabilitation requirement (drr) recommendation."

But Judge Jo Kidd said the Probation Service offender manager report stated that the defendant was not considered suitable for a drr as he had previously been unwilling to share information about himself from different agencies, without which it would make such a requirement impossible to carry out.

Miss Moscardini said the defendant had issues with one probation officer and does not consider it would prohibit him undertaking a drr.

"He's had prison sentences, is released and then returns to offending as, the factor mostly affecting him, his drug misuse, hasn't been dealt with."

Judge Kidd told Ainslie, however: "You have a truly appalling record of offending and your compliance with your most recent period on licence was poor, refusing to disclose a release address and refusing to share information with the drug and alcohol services.

"So, you were not behaving in a way conducive with your rehabilitation, despite many attempts by the Probation Service to encourage you to engage with what is clearly at the centre of your offending, namely your entrenched drug use.

"Until you accept the assistance provided for you, there's nothing the Probation Service can do."

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Imposing a ten-month prison sentence, she told Ainslie it would have been 15 months, but but for his guilty plea when he first appeared at court.

She said his cause was not assisted by his aggravating offending history.

As a parting shot, Judge Kidd told Ainslie: "It's to be hoped when you are released on licence that you take the assistance given to you by the Probation Service."