A SERIAL burglar, said to have become almost institutionalised, is back behind bars serving his latest custodial sentence within weeks of his previous release.

Terry Wilson, who now has nine burglary offences on his record, is starting a 40-month sentence, imposed after a series of break-ins committed while high on drugs in the small County Durham community of Bishop Middleham last month.

Durham Crown Court heard that residents saw a figure behaving oddly in the village one Monday morning, and Wilson ran off after being found in a garden shed at one property.

Andrew Findlay, prosecuting,said neighbours decided to call the police and, on their arrival, the defendant was spotted emerging from a house in Palmers Terrace.

While trying to flee from dog handlers, he ran into the path of other officers and was detained.

Mr Findlay said the resident of the house from which he emerged was contacted as she was making her way to a funeral.

When she came back to the property, she was verbally abused by Wilson while he sat in a police vehicle at the scene.

She then checked her house and found a ground floor bedroom window open and apparently entered, while a crow bar had been left inside.

Mr Findlay said she discovered a bed had been slept in, food had been eaten, the toilet had been used, and drawers were emptied, with underwear strewn round.

A number of electrical items were unplugged and a jacket had been taken.

In her victim statement, she said she was shaken and sickened at Wilson’s actions.

The court heard he has 45 past convictions, covering a total of 96 offences, and he was only released from a previous three-year sentence in November.

Thirty-eight-year-old Wilson, of Baldwin Street, Easington Colliery, admitted burglaries at the house, as well as a garden shed and an outhouse, in Stoneybeck, also in Bishop Middleham.

He also admitted possessing of a class C drug, eight diazepam tablets, which he had with him at the time of his arrest.

Jane Waugh, mitigating, said Wilson is reaching the stage where he is becoming institutionalised, as he has little support structure in place to assist when he is released from custody.

Imposing the latest sentence, Judge Deborah Sherwin, said it was no surprise the victim of the house burglary felt “violated” at his activities in her home that day.