Hartlepool burglar caught eating tomato in grandmother's kitchen jailed for three years
A repeat burglar has been jailed after he was caught eating a tomato inside a grandmother’s kitchen in the middle of the day.
Stephen Young, 45, scaled a 5ft fence before going inside the victim’s home while under the influence of drink or drugs, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The householder was outside the front of her home in Irvine Road, Hartlepool, with her son and his girlfriend who had come to collect the woman’s grandchild.
The child’s mother said she has spotted someone going inside the house.
Rachel Butt, prosecuting, said: “Ring doorbell footage showed the defendant in the street initially scaling a fence at the rear before coming round to the front and entering the address.
“She has gone into her kitchen and shouted at the defendant to leave. She couldn’t make out what he was saying. He was slurring his words.
“He was eating a tomato which he had picked up from her kitchen counter.
“He then walked out of the house.”
The court heard the householder was left left shaken and is now scared to even bring her bins in, said Ms Butt.
Young, who has a “dismal record” with more than 70 offences on it, was arrested after being identified from the footage by a detective.
When questioned he said he thought it was his house as he lives only 100 yards away but was intoxicated at the time.
Young, of Inverness Road, pleaded guilty to burglary.
It made him a “third strike” burglar meaning he faced a minimum of three years’ immediate jail.
Rod Hunt, mitigating, said it was “utterly absurd” of Young to risk such a sentence for the sake of a tomato but accepted the effect on the victim.
Mr Hunt added: “It was a brief intrusion, very small item taken. Clearly the defendant was not really in control of himself.”
The judge, Recorder Andrew Dallas, said the victim has been “considerably shaken up”.
He told Young: “Intrusion into people’s houses have real and very long lasting effects on householders”.
Recorder Dallas added: “It might have been impulsive by you, but involved climbing a fence to get in showing some commitment.”
Young was jailed for a total of 876 days.