Thief faces jail after breaking into vet's care outside surgery in Sunderland

A thief who smashed his way into a Sunderland vet’s car while she worked and pinched £1,000 of goods could recall nothing of his crime due to downing Valium, a court heard.

Jordan Canavan, 34, broke a window of his female victim’s Mini Countryman motor as it sat parked outside her practice in The Kings Road, Southwick.

Canavan, also of The Kings Road, made off with a leather bag and her banking card but was captured on crystal clear CCTV and arrested three weeks later.

In a statement read to South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, the vet said his attack, at 5.45pm on Tuesday, October 3, had caused inconvenience and upset.

It had forced the changing of locks, due to keys also being stolen, and staff were more worried about the safety of their property.

Prosecutor Emma O’Hegarty said: “The vet had parked her vehicle and was at work. She was alerted that someone had smashed her car window.

“She went outside and found the nearside window broken and her bag, which contained personal items, wasn’t inside.

“CCTV showed the defendant approach the vehicle and go away into a property, and then come back.

“He was seen on the footage to smash a rear window and take something out.”

Canavan, who has 29 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft from a motor vehicle.

His past offences include 12 thefts or kindred offences, with his last crime being for causing criminal damage in 2021.

Richard Copsey, defending, said: “You can see that he was in trouble a lot when he was younger. It’s disappointing to see him in trouble.

“His stepfather died two months ago and his relationship in Washington also ended, and he went to live with his brother.

“He can’t remember anything about this offence. He’d taken some Valium. One of the things he has taken was a credit or debit card.

“If it was sophisticated, the card would have been used, it wasn’t. The rest of the bag was cosmetics.

“This has been just a blip in his recovery. I used to see a lot of Jordan, he’s just having a bad time.”

Magistrates adjourned the case for an all-options report, meaning Canavan could be jailed.

They bailed him to be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, December 12, on condition he does not contact his victim or go to her surgery.