Facebook marketplace advert led to downfall of burglar

Matthew Buckton broke into the property while a heavily pregnant woman was forced to hide upstairs after being awoken by him wandering around the house in the early hours of the morning.

The 24-year-old was confronted by the bike's owner when he arranged to 'buy' the back his stolen goods.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the burglary victim and his father who was with him were threatened with a knife when they attempted to take the bike off the defendant.

Matthew Buckton

Buckton said the victim 'should try and take it and see what happens', the court heard.

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Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, said a bystander believed the pair were attempting to rob Buckton and called the police.

When officers arrived they recovered the lock-knife from Buckton's trousers and a subsequent search of his home revealed the victim's Xbox and Google nest hidden away.

Miss Haugstad said the victim's partner was eight-months pregnant at the time of the burglary and was forced to hide upstairs until he returned home.

She added: "She heard banging from downstairs and called her partner to ask if he was downstairs, he was not and she was terrified because there was somebody in the property.

"The victim ran home and went upstairs to hide his partner had made a further call to her mother and had remained upstairs."

The court heard he had been recalled on licence after committing the offence after being released from a four year sentence for robbery.

Buckton, of Thrush Road, Redcar. pleaded guilty to burglary and possession of a bladed article following the incident on March this year.

John Nixon, in mitigation, his client had turned to burglary to pay back a debt he owed after borrowing money to pay for repairs to make his home safe.

Judge Recorder Craig Hassall QC told Buckton that Facebook had a positive impact for the burglary victims but a negative impact on him when it was used to trace him.

He said: "When they suggested it wasn't your bike to sell you tried to brazen it out but you became agitated and finally you pulled a knife on the victim and his father and threatened them with it."