A man has been sentenced to three years in prison after being arrested and charged with burglary.

Jason Defty, of Bilberry Street in Middlesbrough, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday, January 3, after pleading guilty to a burglary in North Ormesby which happened in the early hours of Tuesday, November 29 2022.

The 30-year-old entered a property where a mother and her children were sleeping around 1:50am and stole an iPad and laptop.

Officers immediately searched the area and used CCTV to help locate Defty on Longlands Road around ten minutes later, in possession of the stolen laptop and iPad.

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He made off, and officers gave chase before managing to detain him and arrest him. He was charged later the same day.

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Acting Detective Inspector Field from Middlesbrough CID said: “This was a terrifying incident for the victims involved, especially in the early hours of the morning. I am pleased that Jason Defty is now behind bars for a significant time.

“This case is an excellent example of good policing work. Defty was located, arrested and charged all on the same day that the burglary happened.

“Response officers and Middlesbrough CID worked to bring together all of the evidence against him swiftly so that he couldn’t pose a danger to anyone else in the local community.”