A burglar who crashed a stolen car into a lamppost while trying to escape police officers has been jailed.
John Kirk broke into a house on Stooperdale Avenue, in Darlington, County Durham, on the night of July 28 and stole the keys to a Ford Mondeo.
The family, who were still inside the house at the time, reported the car as stolen and officers located it minutes later being driven by Kirk on nearby Witton Crescent.
He tried to flee the officers but ended up crashing the car into a lamppost and was arrested.
Officers later found that Kirk had attempted to break into a further two locked cars and a house on Bates Avenue earlier that evening.
The 51-year-old was subsequently charged with a number of offences, including burglary, attempted burglary, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, vehicle interference and aggravated vehicle taking.
He pleaded guilty to all charges and appeared at Teesside Crown Court last week where he was jailed for two years and four months.
He was also disqualified from driving for 34 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190.
Detective Sergeant Grace Holohan, from Darlington Priority Crime Team, said: “Burglary can be one of the most devastating crimes for victims and the impact on those affected can be significant.
“In this case, Kirk showed a blatant disregard for this victims by breaking into their house while they were at home and stealing their car – he did not care about the consequences his actions could have had on the family.
“I am pleased that we were able to apprehend Kirk so quickly and that he pleaded guilty to the offences. I hope this brings some comfort to the victims, knowing that he is now off the streets and behind bars.”
