A BURGLAR'S two-day crime-spree left four families living in fear and two expensive cars written off.

Christopher Sharp weaved across roads, mounted grass verges and ploughed into a fence next to a footpath in one drunken escapade last month.

During the afternoon drive in Guisborough, he collided with two other parked cars and rammed traffic signals in the stolen £27,000 Mercedes.

Teesside Crown Court heard today that the owner had the vehicle just two months before 26-year-old Sharp took the keys in a break-in.

After spinning the car and crashing it, hooded Sharp - who had earlier fled when confronted by a woman in a bungalow - ran from the scene.

It later emerged that he had been responsible for a further two burglaries and the taking of a car worth £20,000 the previous day.

Sean Grainger, mitigating, told the court that Sharp had been on a drink and drugs binge and had very little memory of what he had done.

In statements, his devastated victims described the serial thief's spree as "frightening", "very distressing" and "just so brazen".

One said: "My wife wanted to sell the house because of it.

"We have lived here for 38 years and made this out home so why should we?"

Another householder told how Sharp ran off when they came face-to-face, and said "it is too shocking to contemplate" him bumping into her elderly mother.

Mr Grainger said Sharp had stayed out of trouble for 20 months after being released from his last prison sentence, but "reverted to type".

He added: "Thankfully, nobody during the dangerous driving was injured. No vehicles occupied by people were involved. That's only good fortune."

Sharp, of Eddison Way, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, was jailed for five-and-a-half years and was banned from driving for four years.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, told him: "For the best part of your life you have been committing offences and have been in prison."

Sharp admitted three burglaries, a burglary with intent to steal, dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking.