Neighbour of Hartlepool burglary victim helped crook to sell items at pawn shop

The action of farmworker Ian Parker, 29, led to shocked Stephanie Fielding recovering her jewellery and a computer console and games which had been sold to a pawnbroker’s for £445.

He saw police outside her home in Miers Avenue, Hartlepool, where three houses were broken into on June 7 by a serial burglar.

Parker tracked her down after he had allowed the burglar Dwayne Ryan to use his identification to pawn the goods, said prosecutor Dr Christopher Wood.

He had suspicions after Ryan gave him £30 from the payment for his assistance.

Parker pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to handling stolen goods and three offences of fraud against the pawnbroker’s shop.

The prosecutor said that another neighbour showed Ms Fielding her CCTV footage showing the suspected burglar, and police were able to identify Ryan and to arrest him in Hartlepool town centre shortly afterwards.

Ryan, a three-strikes burglar was jailed for 40 months at Teesside Crown Court last month after he pleaded guilty to the burglaries.

Dr Wood told the judge: “There was no suggestion that Ian Parker was involved in the burglary but shortly after the burglary he met up with Ryan in the town centre who was attempting to pawn the items taken from the burglary.

”The burglar had no identification on him and he asked Parker to do it on his behalf, and Parker told police later ‘Although I realised that something was suspicious, I agreed to use my card to open an account and cash in the games’.”

Dr Wood added: “His suspicions turned to guilt and he did the right thing.”

Graeme Cook, defending, said that Parker was earning £250 a week and he was able to pay something towards the compensation claimed by the pawnbroker’s.

Parker, of Miers Avenue, Hartlepool, was sentenced to an 18-month community order with 15 days rehabilitation activities and a Thinking Skills programme and he was ordered to pay £222 compensation, half the shop’s loss.