Night time burglars jailed
3:09pm Tuesday 18th March 2008
TWO burglars were jailed today after they were collared by rapid response police within five minutes of receiving a 999 call, a court heard.
The pair had raided three homes waking sleeping occupants in two of them, said prosecutor James Withyman.
Wendy Illingworth was asleep at 3.30am at home in Fox Howe, Coulby Newham, when she heard the front door open. She bravely went downstairs and heard someone running from the house.
She found her Satnav system and two bottles of wine missing, Teesside Crown Court was told.
Two hours later James Nicholls was disturbed at his home in Wolsingham Drive, Middlesbrough, by the front door rattling.
His Volvo car was parked outside with the house keys inside and he found someone had broken into it and stolen them.
Police responded five minutes later and en route saw two men emerging from the garden of a house in Acklam Road.
They arrested Liam Lane, 20, and Christian McIntyre, 19, and recovered the Satnav and a bottle of perfume.
McIntyre admitted the joint theft from the Volvo and also two other break-ins. Both had previous burglary convictions.
Peter Wishlade, defending, said that McIntyre later went out with police and he pointed out the sites of other offences. He added that McIntyre fully appreciated the outcome of the case because one offence was a night time occupied house burglary.
Robin Denny, defending Lane, said that he was very immature and he did not grasp what it would be like to be in a victim's shoes. Lane asked for 13 offences to be taken into consideration and he had been in custody for 136 days since November.
Judge Peter Armstrong told the pair: "The two of you are still young but offences of dwelling house burglary at night when they are occupied are so serious that only custody can be justified for it.
"The reason for that is the effect on the victims who have their houses broken into while they are asleep in the middle of the night."
Lane of Marton Road, Middlesbrough, was sent to a young offender's institution for 15 months and McIntyre of Manorwood Road, Coulby Newham, for 12 months.
They pleaded guilty to the October 21 burglary, theft and attempted burglary.