A MAN seen riding off on one of two bicycles stolen from a house cellar in a sneak break-in was “fingered” by prints left on the inner door frame.

John Davison and an accomplice struck shortly after a householder left the gate open at the side of her home in South Street, Durham, having put the bins out, at 7.45pm on July 15.

Durham Crown Court was told a few minutes later the family’s dog ran out barking loudly.

Gurjat Kaur, prosecuting, said the householder went out to see both the gate and the cellar door open, with one of three children’s bikes from the cellar lying next to the open door, but the other two were missing.

A neighbour checked his cctv footage and saw two men cycling away on the two stolen bikes.

Ms Kaur said the bikes, Christmas presents from their grandmother, belonged to the victim’s sons., and were worth £280.

Forensic checks revealed the finger print lift from the internal frame of the cellar door, which matched with Davison.

He was arrested on August 13 but made “no comment” replies in his police interview.

But, appearing before magistrates recently, the 36-year-old defendant, of Aberdeen Tower, Gilley Law, Sunderland, admitted a charge of burglary.

Ms Kaur said the offence put Davison in breach of a four-month suspended prison sentence for obstructing a railway carriage, by throwing a metal barrier onto the Newcastle to Middlesbrough line while drunk, on July 16, 2019.

Amrit Jandoo, for Davison, said it was his first burglary offence and there was no confrontation.

He said the defendant has completed the unpaid work element of the previous sentence.

Judge James Adkin told Davison he has, “a bad record for some disturbing behaviour”, but as he has fared “reasonably well” on his past order he would allow that to continue.

He imposed a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a further 150-days unpaid work.

But Judge Adkin warned Davison: “If I see you again in breach you’ll be going downstairs.”