A BURGLAR who targeted vulnerable properties in his home village was caught after he also broke into a city pub, a court heard.

John Templeton forced his way into temporarily unoccupied homes, one in his own street, in Kelloe, near Durham, in early August.

Durham Crown Court heard that he ransacked the properties, taking jewellery and other items of sentimental value, including a collection of 30 silver spoons, intending to sell them for money for drink and drugs.

Andrew White, prosecuting, said Templeton then broke into the New Inn, in Durham, on August 7.

The court heard that he was targeting gaming machines within the pub and left with some property.

He was arrested, nearby, and a search of his home revealed some items taken in the nearby house burglaries.

Mr White said not only was there ransacking of the plundered homes, but it could almost be classed as “vandalism”, causing great distress to the householders involved, on their return.

Twenty-six-year-old Templeton, of Burnett Crescent, Kelloe, admitted three counts of burglary.

The court heard his record includes previous break-ins at commercial properties, but none, until now, of a domestic nature.

He was subject of a community order imposed only a month earlier after being caught following a break-in at a university building.

Chris Morrison, for Templeton, said he kept out of trouble in the months before his latest bout of offending, but began taking drink and class C drug substances on his return to the North-East, following the end of a relationship with a woman in Cornwall.

Mr Morrison added that until the recent break-ins, his offending was more of a, “scavenging nature.”

Imposing a three-year prison sentence, Judge Christopher Prince said breaking into the homes of local elderly people was, “a far more serious matter.”