A householder was shocked and disgusted to find his house had been squatted in and burgled while he was away for two weeks at the Commonwealth Games.
Peter Anderson and Alan Kenrick had just been released from prison and were looking for somewhere to doss down when they spotted what they thought was an deserted property on Myrtle Street, Ashington. A court heard they moved in for nearly two weeks, even doing some tidying while they were there.
But over a number of days they also stole various items, including a tumble drier, TV, chainsaw, drill, rug, computer monitor, DVDs and a camera lens. Newcastle Crown Court heard that three days into the burglary they spotted a CCTV camera, which they unplugged but continued to steal.
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They told a neighbour they were there looking after the place and even tidied up the yard but in fact the man who lives there has no association with or connection to them. He said: "I feel violated and my home smells of someone else."
Jailing the pair for burgling the home and shed between July 26 and August 10 this year, Judge Edward Bindloss said: "This is an unusual case. The complainant went away for a couple of weeks to the Commonwealth Games. You had both been recently released from custody.
"I accept you were both looking for somewhere to live and broke in and started squatting in his house. From the outset this was not a planned, targeted, sophisticated burglary, it was a break-in looking for somewhere to live.
"A number of items were taken over the course of two weeks. He felt violated and the smell still lingered."
The court heard Anderson had been released on post licence supervision for having a bladed article while Kenrick had been released on post licence supervision for burglary. They both admitted two counts of burglary and Anderson, 44, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years, while Kenrick, 44, of no fixed address, got 32 months.
Richard Bloomfield, for Anderson, said he thought he had permission from someone to be there and added that his last burglary conviction was in 2004.
Kenrick's barrister said he was homeless and looking for somewhere to sleep and when he looked in the back window he thought the house was deserted. He added that they left before the householder came home after someone knocked on the door and they realised it was likely the house was not deserted.
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