Thief tried to rob three houses in one night

Kieton Pearson, 26, attempted burglaries at houses in Goldfinch Road, Kingfisher Drive and Goldcrest Way, all in Easington Lane, in the early hours of Friday, June 27.

Pearson was foiled in one when he noisily woke a householder – and his only gain was in stealing a £2.50 bottle of milk from a doorstep.

His image was also captured on a Ring doorbell security system at one property, leading to identification by members of the public when the owner circulated the picture.

On the same day, Pearson stole a £40 pair of headphones from a Ford Focus car, prosecutor Paul Anderson told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

And a day earlier, he pinched £48 of food from a Morrisons store in Sunderland, before returning on each of the next two days to steal a total of £64 of stock.

His spree ended on Sunday, June 29, when he was caught in possession in public of a balaclava and gloves as he went out equipped for burglary.

He committed the offences just weeks after a judge at Teesside Crown Court handed him a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for similar crimes.

At his latest hearing, magistrates told him their first obligation was to activate that sentence – but they refrained from doing so.

They said a key aspect of the suspended sentence – that Pearson takes steps to address a drug problem – had not had time to take effect.

Instead, they jailed him for eight weeks, suspended for two years, for his new offences.

Their decision allowed him to walk free from court but with two suspended sentences hanging over him.

And Nicola Burns, chair of the bench, told him: “This is not just your second chance, this is your third chance, in effect.

“This is your very, very final opportunity to try this drug programme and to try to make it work.”

Pearson, who has 45 previous convictions from 102 offences, pleaded guilty to three counts each of attempted burglary and theft from a shop.

He also admitted one count each of theft – other than finding, theft from a motor vehicle and going equipped for burglary.

Alastair Naismith, defending, urged magistrates not to activate the first suspended sentence, on the basis the drugs rehabilitation element had not had time to start.

Mr Naismith said the judge at Pearson’s earlier hearing had specifically suspended the sentence for drug treatment to be given a chance.

He also said Pearson had committed his latest crimes after losing his accommodation and being forced to fend for himself on the streets.

Magistrates ordered Pearson to pay £40 compensation to the owner of the headphones.