Hartlepool career burglar jailed for targeting vulnerable 81-year-old man

Brian Kerr, 58, has 91 convictions on his record including 15 previous house burglaries with his first committed back in 1978.

He is now starting a 34-month jail sentence after entering a pensioner’s home in the West View area of Hartlepool on the evening of January 23 this year while selling prawns door to door.

A judge at Teesside Crown Court said it was just a cover story to identify vulnerable homes and people to take advantage of.

The court heard that within seconds of knocking on the victim’s door Kerr was inside rummaging through his belongings looking for things to steal.

He made off with the man’s wallet and unsuccessfully tried to use his bank card.

Kerr was arrested after being identified from CCTV footage that the victim’s daughter had installed at her father’s home. He has since passed away.

Judge Jonathan Carroll described the burglary as “despicable”.

He said: "[It was] a burglary of the most pernicious, nasty and mean-spirited kind.

"You are without doubt a career burglar.

“You were in as quick as you could despite his attempts to tell you that he had no money.

“Within seconds you were searching his house. You saw your opportunity and you grabbed it.

"He was an incredibly vulnerable old man; entirely dependant on a number of carers, both professional and family, to see to his every day basic needs.”

Judge Carroll said he “utterly rejected” submissions on Kerr’s behalf that he had not targeted the victim.

Chris Morrison, defending, said in mitigation that Kerr had been selling door to door to supplement his meagre income.

Mr Morrison added: “The offence was quickly detected.”

He added Kerr, of Salisbury Place, Hartlepool, deserved credit for admitting the crime.

He pleaded guilty to burglary just as he was about to go on trial on Monday, September 7.

Judge Carroll reduced an initial 45-month sentence to recognise Kerr’s guilty plea and the current “challenging” prison conditions due to the Covid-19 situation.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Hartlepool Mail website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here.

Thank you.