A serial burglar tried to bargain with students after he was confronted having apparently dozed off in their shared digs in Durham, a court heard.
Steven Renwick seemed to have just woken up when found sitting in a chair at the four-bedroomed terraced property in Atherton Street, Durham, at 8.30am on Sunday, October 13.
Durham Crown Court heard that two of the students living there had woken to find property missing and went downstairs to find the uninvited intruder in the dining room.
Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said Renwick appeared confused how he got there, when challenged by the two undergraduates.
The student took it from him and rang for the police.
Mr Harley said when Renwick realised the police were being called, he tried to bargain with one of the students saying he would get other stolen property back if they did not report it, but when he realised it was too late, he then left via the back door.
His description was circulated and a CCTV operator noticed a male matching his description on North Road.
Renwick was located and detained in a nearby wooded area at 9.15am.
He was searched and a black-handled kitchen knife, belonging to one of the students, was found in his possession.
Renwick was arrested and taken to Durham Police Station, where he admitted having been in the student house, but he denied having committed a burglary.
A set of stolen headphones and an i-pad were found in a backpack and a bag for life, containing another knife and a Barbour jacket, both also belonging to students at the house, was recovered nearby, having been hidden in bushes behind a bus stop in Millburngate.
Renwick was further interviewed and made no comment.
But the, now, 26-year-old defendant of Park Close, Langley Park, admitted charges of burglary and possessing a knife in public at a plea hearing last month.
Mr Harley said the defendant was already a third-strike burglar, prior to the offence.
A statement from one of the victims was read to the court in which he said he had just moved into the property and felt unsettled at the break-in.
He feared having lost study work, as only some of the stolen items were recovered.
He believed the defendant must have gone into the house, taken some items which he deposited and returned intending to steal more.
Tony Davis, for Renwick, told the court: “I have represented him previously and this is another episode of acquisitive crime for the purposes of feeding a drug addiction.
“Hopefully, the time he is going to spend in custody he will utilise to try to beat that addiction.
“He has a previous sentence of 876 days as a third-strike burglar, in 2017.
“At least he’s had the good sense to plead guilty.”
“You know what sentence will follow.
“You committed a string of burglaries in 2016 and received a youth referral order, but you were back in court in 2017 as a third-strike burglar and received the minimum 876-day sentence, after a guilty plea.
“When you were released, you committed a commercial burglary for which you received an 18-month sentence in 2022.
“Due to your drug addiction, you are continuing to act in this way.
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“To protect the public, you will again receive the minimum 876-day sentence.”
Judge Adams passed a concurrent six-month sentence for the bladed article offence.
As a parting shot, he told Renwick: “I hope you use the time in custody wisely and beat the drug habit so you don’t end up again back here.”
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