A BURGLAR who was caught ransacking a house and stealing electrical equipment has been given a suspended sentence.

Daniel Higgins pushed a woman out of the way to escape after she found him going through cupboards of a friend’s house in Darlington.

The 36-year-old managed to flee with a laptop, two PlayStation consoles, a Sat-Nav, a wallet, and a car key, following the burglary in August 2018.

Teesside Crown Court heard the defendant had moved to Northern Ireland since his arrest and was making efforts to turn his life around.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said Higgins was caught hours later while he was stumbling along the A167 away from North Road and towards his then home in Newton Aycliffe.

Read more: Drunken thug knocked woman unconscious in brawl outside Darlington pub​

She said he was carrying the laptop back but told officers he had found it in bushes.

The court heard how the car key was found during a subsequent search of his property.

Miss Masters added: “She noticed an unknown man in the cupboard under the stairs, she returned to the living room and he followed.

“He picked up a bag and walked straight towards her, she then put her arms up to block access to the door and tried to take the bag off him.

“A shirt scuffle took place between them but she let go fearing she could get hurt.”

Higgins, of Minard Park, Dundonald, Belfast, pleaded guilty to burglary more than three years after committing the offence.

Stephen Constantine, in mitigation, said his client was not getting help to treat his drug addiction and had moved to Northern Ireland so that he could be closer to his partner’s family.

He said the father-of-two’s life had ‘been in turmoil’ at the time of the burglary.

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Higgins to 16 months in custody, suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work when he returned to Northern Ireland.

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