A THREE-STRIKES burglar brought misery to three households in a spree of night-time break-ins to help fund his cocaine habit, a court heard.

But Jonathon Lee is now paying for his nocturnal activities in a residential area near his home in Peterlee, County Durham, after being jailed for a total of 1,752 days, almost four years and ten months.

The sentence was imposed at Durham Crown Court yesterday (Thursday June 27) after he admitted three charges of burglary and a further count of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Ian West, prosecuting, said Lee struck as residents slept at two houses in Bailey Rise and one in Baliol Close, in a period from December 27 to January 23.

Mr West said unsuccessful attempts were made to buy goods online with stolen bank cards within hours of the first two break-ins, using an email address beginning ‘puredivvy’, from Lee’s home address.

He was also recognised on cctv using stolen store vouchers and loyalty bonus cards the day after the second burglary.

Lee was arrested on January 11 on suspicion of one of the burglaries, but while on bail, 12 days later, he burgled another house in Bailey Rise and took keys for the family’s Peugeot 407 car.

He was later spotted on cctv walking from Dunelm Close, where the Peugeot was abandoned, to his home in nearby Yoden Way, shortly after 6am on January 23.

Other items stolen in the burglary were recovered from the loft of his home when he was arrested later that day.

The court heard that 22-year-old Lee’s criminal record, including previous burglaries, stretches back to 2004.

Martin Scarborough, mitigating, said having gone offence-free for a year, Lee returned to crime last November after funding was pulled ending his apprenticeship placement with a housing group.

It led to rows and eventual separation from his girlfriend before Lee began taking cocaine, resorting to burglary in an attempt to fund the habit, added Mr Scarborough.

Jailing him, Judge Christopher Prince said Lee was aware of the consequences of becoming a third strike burglar, and yet repeated the offence on his release on bail.

He also banned Lee from driving for a year.