A burglar who targeted several properties in one night was also caught on CCTV defecating on the doorstep of someone’s home.

Gerald Dunion carried out the spree of the offences in the early hours through to early morning when he crept into two properties and attempted to gain entry to several others.

The 50-year-old was caught by the visually impaired occupant of one the properties before fleeing the scene, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said Dunion’s first offence saw him captured on Ring doorbell footage entering a property before he defecated on the doorstep of another home on Carlton Street, Hartlepool.

He said a couple of hours later he spotted in Belmont Gardens trying door handles after carrying out an untidy search of one home and stealing the occupant’s iPhone.

Mr Gittins said: “A female, who was partially sighted and not wearing glasses at the time, saw a man – the defendant - walk through the hallway wearing a blue jacket and carrying something that was red.

“She thought it was her mother’s partner but when she shouted for the dog it became apparent it wasn’t him.

“When they went downstairs, they saw that an untidy search had been carried out and her work iPhone was missing.”

The final burglary happened two hours later when he was spotted opening a window and sticking his head through a window and shouting hello before walking away after he spotted the occupant in the house.

Mr Gittins said the woman whose mobile phone was stolen managed to track him down and recover her iPhone before the police arrived.

Gerald DunionGerald Dunion (Image: Cleveland Police)

Dunion, of Stockton Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to three burglaries, attempted burglary and damaging property on September 9 this year.

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John Nixon, mitigating, said his client was effectively homeless at the time of the offences and was drinking heavily in an attempt to cope with the situation.

He added: “There was no drugs involved but he acknowledges that he had been drinking very heavily.”

Judge Francis Laird KC locked the repeat burglar up for three years and nine months for all offences after hearing he had 23 convictions for 73 offences, including 40 charges connected to theft.

He said: “At the time, you were homeless and you had resorted to drinking very heavily.”