A MAN with an “absolutely appalling” record for burglary and car crime is back behind bars following his latest domestic break-in.

Trevor James Lawrence targeted a shared student house in Durham, taking a set of car keys and a pair of ear-rings, overnight on March 23/24.

On Friday, Durham Crown Court heard he then drove away in one of the student resident’s Vauxhall Corsa car, which was parked outside the property, in Church Street Head.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said the burglary was discovered the following morning and at 4.30pm that afternoon a Cleveland Police officer spotted the Corsa at a petrol station in Yarm Road, Stockton.

Lawrence was arrested as he filled the car with petrol and was found to have the ear-rings in his pocket, while a student’s bicycle, also stolen in Durham the previous evening, was recovered from the boot.

Lawrence denied having anything to do with the burglary, but, at his first crown court appearance, earlier this month, the 34-year-old, of Yarm Road, Stockton, pleaded ‘guilty’ to the burglary, taking the vehicle without consent, theft of the bike, as well as driving while disqualified and without insurance.

The court heard the “three-strikes” burglar has 79 offences on his record, including 40 for dishonesty and 14 for taking vehicles.

Among previous sentences was one of six years for conspiracy to burgle 26 homes, in which 30 cars were taken, across the North, in 2008.

Peter Kilgour, mitigating, described the recent crimes as, “serious opportunistic offending”, adding that Lawrence’s early ‘guilty’ pleas spared the victims having to give evidence at trial.

Judge Christopher Prince told Lawrence: “You have an absolutely appalling record, not just for burglary, but also for taking vehicles and driving while disqualified.”

Jailing him for three years and three months, Judge Prince also banned Lawrence from driving for a further two years.