A serial burglar once branded a "menace to society" tried to talk his way out of being caught by pretending he urgently needed to locate a toilet after consuming a dodgy takeaway.
45-year-old Stephen Bade was caught red-handed trying to break into houses and was recognised instantly from his distinctive ears.
Hull Crown Court heard how he now had convictions for more than 100 offences, had been a drug addict since the age of 13 and had been homeless and living in a park for long periods of time, reports Hull Live.
Bade, from Hull, admitted to three offences of attempted burglary on April 5 and 6.
Prosecutor Jemima Stephenson said that a householder heard his front door opening at 9:30pm and thinking that he had left it open, went to close it.
He spotted Bade approach the door again and reach towards the handle. The occupier opened the door and Bade, who was wearing a face mask, asked if Jordan lived there before walking away.
In nearby Newcomen Street, Bade approached a door and tried the handle but realised that there was a door bell camera. The woman who lived there put an image of Bade's "very distinctive protruding ears" on a local community group.
At 1.30am, Bade, wearing a face mask, went to a house in Eglinton Avenue but again realised that there was a door bell camera and walked off.
A woman there also put an image on a community Facebook page.
Bade was arrested and claimed that he had been drinking all day and had eaten a Chinese takeaway that was giving him a bad stomach. He claimed that he was looking for somewhere to go to the toilet.
Bade had convictions for 99 previous offences, 60 of them theft-related.
He had been jailed for five years in January 2018 for burglaries. Bade also had convictions for importing and supplying drugs and had been jailed for eight years in 2001.
He was also jailed for three-and-a-half years in March 2015 when Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told him: "You are truly a menace to society."
David Hewitt, mitigating, said that Bade had been wandering around gardens and trying door handles.
"There was no violence and there was no disturbance to these properties," said Mr Hewitt.
"He doesn't really remember what went on, on those evenings."
Bade had been addicted to drugs, including heroin, for 30 years.
"He has spent a very large part of his adult life in custody," said Mr Hewitt.
"He had been living for large periods of time in East Park, living as homeless."
Bade had been released from prison in April last year but a lot of the support that he had received since then had been only over the telephone.
"He needs to address his mental health difficulties to lead the life that he wants to live in the future," said Mr Hewitt.
Bade had the status of "listener" in prison because of his understanding of mental health difficulties and he wore a T-shirt saying to other prisoners "I'm here to talk if you are having difficulties with mental health".
Bade had stayed off Class A drugs since 2017 and had been in custody since April.
Recorder Geraldine Kelly said that it was an "excuse" and a "lie" from Bade when he claimed that he had eaten a Chinese meal and needed to find a toilet.
"This was a determined effort by you to commit three offences of burglary," said Recorder Kelly.
"The only reason that you didn't is that you were thwarted.
"You were homeless at the time of these offences. You have been a drug addict from the age of 13 but you have, to your credit, dealt with your addiction."
Bade was jailed for 16 months.
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