Sunderland dad's disgust as home targeted while wife and children slept

In a victim statement read to a court, he described how Christopher Bewick’s bid to break into his shed and car had only been prevented by CCTV.

Homeless Bewick, 35, spotted the security system part way through his night-time crime attempts in the Plains Farm area, on Monday, December 6.

It led him to pull up his hood and flee, prosecutor Gurjot Kaur told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

In his statement, the householder said: “Had I not had cameras in place, he would have tried to break the lock on my shed and steal from it.

“It disgusts me that this male came onto my property in the dead of night while my wife and children slept in their beds.

“They should be able to sleep soundly at night without worrying about such things.”

Ms Kaur said: “The man’s Ring doorbell alert showed the defendant walking down his drive and trying to open a shed lock and trying the handle on a Skoda vehicle.

“The defendant noticed the camera was looking straight at him, so he put his hood up. He made off but was arrested.”

Bewick was also found on Sunday, September 19, in possession of items taken from a car stolen four days earlier.

He pleaded guilty to theft from a motor vehicle and attempted burglary of a dwelling with intent to steal.

And he admitted vehicle interference and offending while subject to a conditional discharge, imposed in July for drugs’ possession.

Gerry Armstrong, defending, said Bewick was focused on becoming law-abiding and had a “new conviction” to do so.

In court, the Probation Service confirmed Bewick had confessed to regularly using drugs and now claimed to have quit.

Magistrates jailed him for 14 weeks but suspended the sentence for 18 months.

Bewick was ordered to do 25 days of rehabilitation work and 19 sessions of the Thinking Skills programme.

He must pay £140 compensation to the owner of the car whose property he stole. There were no court costs or victim surcharge.