A burglar who stole a sleeping family's car before crashing it and fleeing has been jailed.
Stephen Ambler broke into a Hetton-le-Hole home while the occupants were asleep upstairs.
The thief swiped the keys to a black Mercedes that was parked on the drive, before leaving the home and climbing into the driver's seat.
He was ready to make off, but it appears nature called, and the 42-year-old climbed back out of the car to urinate in the street in front of a CCTV camera.
He crashed the £17,000 vehicle just two miles away and fled the scene. But Ambler was caught out by police due to the CCTV footage of his shameless public urination, leading to his arrest.
Ambler will now have to serve a five-year sentence.
Months before the Hetton-le-Hole burglary, Ambler had also broken into a hairdresser's and stolen brushes and dryers, causing £1,500 worth of damage.
A judge at Newcastle Crown Court handed down the five-year jail term on Thursday, after Amber admitted a string of offences including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and driving whilst disqualified.
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: "We are pleased that the severity of his crimes have been reflected in this sentence and families across Sunderland can sleep easier knowing Ambler is behind bars."
