A BURGLAR involved in a break-in at a retired couple’s home while they were on holiday was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

John Pearson is thought to have been joined by at least one other unknown person in forcing a rear double-glazed window to the four-bedroom detached house in Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, sometime in early to mid-May this year.

Durham Crown Court was told the daughter of the couple living there discovered intruders had entered and made an untidy search of all rooms by May 13.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said when the householders returned and made a thorough check the haul of stolen goods was found to include two vacuum cleaners, a watch, as well as jewellery with a sentimental value, collectively said to have totalled approximately £10,000.

Mr Baker said a cigarette butt, carrying Pearson’s DNA, was recovered from a kitchen floor, while a footprint at the point of entry, was similar to the sole pattern of his training shoes.

When Pearson was arrested at home on July 6, he made no comment other than to claim he was the victim of, “a stitch up”.

But at an earlier hearing, 39-year-old Pearson, of The Lawns, Easington Lane, admitted burglary.

The court heard he has 65 convictions for 146 offences, 83 said to be for matters of dishonesty.

Lewis Kerr, mitigating, said his offending had mainly been committed to support the defendant’s drug misuse in the past.

“He’s fallen back into a pattern of drug abuse he very much hoped to prevent and stop.”

Mr Kerr added: “Clearly he was not the only one involved and he would say he didn’t walk away with £10,000-worth of jewellery.”

Jailing him for 30-months, Judge Simon Hickey also added a further month for breach of bail, as Pearson failed to appear at a previous hearing, before being remanded in custody.