Hartlepool thug who burgled vulnerable pensioner and choked his pregnant ex-girlfriend for speaking out

Adam Thomson, 27, was berated by a judge, who asked him of the OAP: “Do you understand how she suffers now?”

Thomson appeared at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to burglary, assault and affray and being convicted of handling stolen goods. He was jailed for a total of 34 months.

Prosecutor Nigel Soppitt described how the vulnerable 68-year-old woman was watching TV in bed on November 10, 2018, when she heard someone moving in her Hartlepool home.

“She went downstairs to see the lights on in her property and her door open. She saw that a large TV had been stolen.”

Also missing were a purse and her house keys.

A neighbour tipped her off that two people carrying the TV had gone into a nearby house, so the brave pensioner went and ‘banged on the door’ demanding her property back.

Speaking out after the burglary, she said: “I feel frightened and scared and distressed about this invasion of my property.”

Just days later, Thomson carried out a horrifying attack on his ex-girlfriend outside Teesside Magistrates’ Court, where she had been due to give evidence against him in a handling stolen goods trial.

The prosecutor said Thomson pushed her to the floor, spat in her face and choked her.

Three days later, police were called to an address in Bruce Crescent after Thomson was seen shouting abuse at neighbours. The incident went on for an hour before he was arrested for affray.

Defence barrister Stephen Constantine asked the judge to look at a psychiatric report on Thomson. He said he was now reconciled with his partner, who gave birth to their daughter three months ago.

The court also heard that Thomson has made significant progress during the seven months he has spent in custody.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC told him: “Had you had the guts and courage to plead guilty [earlier] you would be serving a shorter period of time.”