County Durham burglar targeted man’s home and a social club

Lee Morrow acted as look-out when his co-accused broke into the South Side Social Club in Easington, County Durham and smashed open the fruit machines to steal cash.

The 55-year-old burglar was spotted by two members of the public who alerted police to their activities in the early hours of the morning as they fled the scene in a car.

Teesside Crown Court heard how officers were able to trace the Vauxhall Astra and when they arrested Morrow they discovered he had a knife stuffed in his waistband.

Chris Morrison, prosecuting, said the witnesses saw them running away from the club in Easington before driving away in the car with £98 in cash.

He said: “CCTV showed two men go to the window and break it, one climbed through the window and entry (to the fruit machine) was forced by what appeared to be a jemmy and he proceeded to remove coins from it.

“He put the cash in a box and that’s what the witness thought was the till drawer. Morrow was the lock-out waiting outside and a one-point poked his head through the window.”

Mr Morrison said Morrow then committed a house burglary at Eden court, Peterlee, sometime between November 17 and 24 last year.

He said the owner was in the process of moving homes and was not in at the time of the burglary and stole clothing, baby formula, laptop and box of sentimental items.

The court heard how the defendant then stole crisps and Crunchie chocolate bars worth £46.85 from Sainsbury’s in Horden, County Durham, on May 2.

Lee Morrow (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Morrow, of no fixed abode but formerly of Horden, pleaded guilty to burglary and possession of a knife following his arrest on September 19 last year.

He was found guilty of the house burglary in his absence when he failed to turn up at court and he pleaded guilty to the shop theft on May 2 this year.

Kathryn Wetherley, mitigating, said her client had a longstanding problem with drugs and alcohol but had now been clean for some time but had become homeless as a result of his offending.

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She said Morrow accepts he was carrying the knife at the time of the social club burglary but did not use it at any time.

Recorder Mark McKone sentenced Morrow to a total of three years in prison for all charges, after hearing he had more than 100 offences on his record.

Dealing with the club burglary, he said: “I accept you did not use the knife during the burglary but you had it available if necessary.

“I do not accept that you went to this property before 6am being totally unaware of what was going to happen.”