A MAN involved in a spate of break-ins at Gregg’s shops round the North-East was today (Friday, February 5) jailed for three years and nine months - after being caught out by his own electronic tag.

John Thomas Campbell took part in burglaries on at least four of the bakery chain's branches over a period when seven were targeted from Tyneside to Teesside.

Durham Crown Court heard all happened when the shops were closed for the night and usually involved forcing a rear door to try and take money from the safe.

Although Campbell and his unknown accomplices successfully escaped with £2,000 from one branch in Norton, near Stockton, they left empty-handed after most.

Stephen Duffield, prosecuting, said Campbell was “undone” by his electronically-monitored tag - having been placed on a curfew as part of a suspended sentence imposed in December, 2014.

Checks revealed the tag, fitted to ensure Campbell remained at his Sunderland home overnight, placed him 25 miles further south, in the High Street, Norton, between 6.45 and 7.05am on January 15 last year.

Nothing was taken in other break-ins, at branches in Powlett Road, Hartlepool, on February 14, and on The Quayside, Newcastle, three days later, but in both cctv cameras were moved to prevent the intruders being detected.

A Citroen Picasso containing two men, was seen driving from the rear of The Quayside shop.

Mr Duffield said following a further break-in, at Gregg’s on The Royal Corner, Crook, from which a computer and cash was taken, on March 13, a “dna-hit”, linking Campbell to the crime, was made from a torch left at the scene.

The 48-year-old, of Osborne Street, Fulwell, admitted four counts of burglary.

He denied three other break-ins, at Gregg's stores on Hylton Retail Park, Sunderland, on Peterlee’s North-West Industrial Estate, and in Front Street, Hetton-le-Hole, between January and March last year, all of which will lie on file.

Robin Turton, mitigating, conceded Campbell has a “dreadful record” of offending, from his juvenile days, onwards but said: “It’s clear he’s someone suffering alcoholism and depression for some time, who is easily-influenced and impulsive.

“There is some support that he was very drunk at the time he was proved to be involved in these offences.”

Mr Turton said the defendant claimed to have only received £150 from the proceeds of the Norton burglary, all of which he “spent on booze”.

Jailing him for three years for the burglaries, with nine months added for breaching two suspended sentences in the process, Judge Simon Hickey described the spree as, “targeted region-wide professional offences against Gregg’s”.