A burglar left his blood on a bed and stole a boiler during two raids on County Durham homes.
Third-strike burglar, Darren Blench carried out the offences on two homes in October this year, when the occupants were out. The 30-year-old smashed into one Horden property and stole a stereo, TV, and an iPhone and left his blood on the bed of the home. Later that same month, he broke into another home by removing a kitchen window and stole items including a boiler after turning off the stopcock and gas switch at the property.
Blench, of Larch Crescent, Yeading, Hillingdon, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Monday via link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs to be sentenced for two counts of burglary. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
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Shada Mellor, prosecuting, said the first burglary happened between October 13 and 17 at a home in Warren Street, Horden. The occupier of the property had returned home from visiting a family member in Leeds to find the windows had been smashed, with glass all over the floor. She said: "Items had been stolen, including a stereo, TV, iPhone and clothing to the value of £500. He went into the bedroom and found blood on the bed." The court heard the blood found was a positive DNA match of Blench's.
The court heard that Blench carried out a second burglary later that month, when the occupier of another County Durham home returned to their property to find a kitchen window had been removed. Ms Mellor said: "Items taken included a kettle, a water distiller, aftershave, and a HP laptop. The boiler of the property had also been removed, the defendant had turned off the stopcock and gas switch." The court heard that Blench, who had 20 convictions for 32 offences, also stole a bike from the garden of the property.
Matthew Simpson, defending, asked for credit for his guilty pleas and said he had "expressed remorse". He said: "He is a rather desperate drug addict. The offences are born out of the necessity for him to buy drugs, namely heroin."
Sentencing him, Recorder Edward Legard, jailed him for 900 days, which is around two years and five months.
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