Pair of Sunderland criminals who raided family home while four-year-old slept at night jailed

Karl Hogg, 36, and Dylan Newall, 29, struck at the victim's property in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, where they took over £1,000 worth of power tools from the garage. Newcastle Crown Court heard the pair were spotted running down the street in the early hours of March 20 by the mum who was awoken by the noise.

Prosecuting the case, Shada Mellor told the court how Newall also struck at a separate garage just days earlier, where he stole more tools and a bike that the homeowner was storing for a friend. Ms Mellor said the joint offence took place at a property on Summerhill, Sunderland, where children including one as young as four were sleeping.

She told the court the mum woke up to the sound of banging and on closer inspection with her husband, it was discovered their garage door was damaged and £1,100 worth of power tools had been taken.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she felt unsafe with her children in her home as a result and her partner had to take time off work due to the missing equipment which affected their income.

The pair were located and arrested a short time later. Eight days earlier on March 12, Newall struck at a property on Sunderland Street in Houghton-le-Spring where he caused £500 worth of damage to a separate garage building. He also stole tools and a bike to the value of £800.

Newall, of Sunderland Street, pleaded guilty to a dwelling house burglary and a non-dwelling burglary. Hogg, also of Sunderland Street, admitted dwelling house burglary and breaching a community order for burgling a working men's club.

Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced Hogg to 28 months behind bars and Newall to 876 days, which works out at just over 28 months. Liam O'Brien, defending Newall, said: "The significant mitigating feature in this case is the fact he had the good sense to indicate guilty pleas when he was brought before the magistrates.

"He committed his first offence at the age of 12, however since then he's been committing more and more offences. Mr Newall is deeply sorry for the pain and upset he has caused."

Katie Spence, defending Hogg, who the court heard was once the victim of a stabbing behind bars, said the defendant was gripped by a cocaine addiction at the time of the break-in. Ms Spence added: "He describes his actions as stupid. He is remorseful, he knows the impact his actions have had on the victims in this case."