A burglar who targeted a former neighbour’s home before breaking into his own mother’s home has been locked up.
Gavin James managed to persuade his first victim to let him into his home for a cup of coffee before stealing his wallet and using his bank card to buy cigarettes and drugs.
Teesside Crown Court heard how his mother caught the 42-year-old attempting to burgle her by climbing through a window of her Middlesbrough home.
Shada Mellor, prosecuting, said the defendant, who occasionally cleaned the victim’s windows, asked to use the man’s toilet after spending 20 minutes in his home before immediately leaving moments later.
“The man received a phone call from his bank saying there had been some suspicious activity on his account at a convenience store,” she said.
“He explained that it couldn’t have been him and he went upstairs to discover his wallet, bank cars, driving licence and £50 in cash had been taken.”
Miss Mellor said James had climbed through a window of his mother’s home on Deepdale Avenue and was caught outside by police after she called for help.
The court heard how the defendant had 15 convictions for 26 offences on his record including previous burglaries.
James, of no fixed abode but formerly of Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to burglary and fraud by false representation from November 4 and 5 and burglary with intent to steal the following day at his mother’s home.
Nick Ayres, mitigating, said his client had fallen out with his partner and was effectively homeless at the time of the offending.
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He added: “He was known to the first victim and he would wish to apologise to him for betraying his trust because he obviously had been a trusted individual who had been allowed to clean his windows from time to time.”
Judge Jo Kidd sentenced James to three years in prison for all offences after hearing he was on licence at the time for a previous house burglary.
She said: “This is the fourth and fifth occasion you have been before the court for dwelling house burglary.
“It is clear that your offending is as a direct result of your drug use. You need to continue to work with the drug services whilst in prison to ensure your risk of reoffending is reduced.”
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