A burglar raided a Peterlee home after threatening to burn down a petrol station in an attempted robbery.
Jacob Grant Chambers had been taking "pills and cocaine" on February 20 when he decided to try and rob a nearby petrol station. The 22-year-old told the lone female staff member that he had set fire to the station and "poured liquid" into the tray of the pay window - leaving her terrified.
Chambers left empty handed, but went on to burgle a nearby home as a woman and young child slept inside the property. On Monday, he appeared at Durham Crown Court via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for attempted robbery and burglary.
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Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said the offences were committed "within a short time" of each other and said he turned up to a petrol station at around 6.20am where a female staff member was working alone. "He demanded cash immediately and said he would set the place on fire," he said.
"He poured a liquid into the night hatch leaving the staff member in distress as she pressed the emergency alarm. The defendant then walked off, with the burglary happening around an hour later."
Mr Sabiston said that a man had left his Duddon Close home - leaving his partner and child sleeping - to go to the same petrol station Chambers had recently tried to rob. Chambers was seen nearby with his hood up and face covered.
But when the man returned home, he realised his partner's purse had been stolen. The court was told that Chambers had also been upstairs in the home and had been inside the baby's room, with a "toy being moved and a door left ajar".
The man left his home and saw Chambers - who he knew by the name "Chimp" - before giving chase. Mr Sabiston said Chambers then threatened to throw two gas cannisters at the man. Chambers was later found hiding in a garden shed.
Ian West, defending, said: "The background to this was that the defendant was taking pills and cocaine with a number of others and they needed more money for more drugs. He was prevailed upon to go to the garage.
"The liquid that he poured into the tray was in fact water. It was the best thing he could think of - it was a pretty pathetic attempt at a robbery and he was easily deterred when she snapped the door shut and he just ran off." Mr West added that the burglary was "opportunistic" and that Chambers ran off when challenged.
Judge James Adkin, the Recorder of Durham, jailed Chambers, of Moutter Close, Horden for four years.
