Career burglar with long history of theft jailed

A career burglar who "violated" people's homes and left them living in fear has been jailed for five years.

Anthony Kennedy, 45, who had a long history of theft, was caught after he broke into two people's homes in Newcastle within a year, the city's crown court heard.

He attempted to steal his first victim's car after she woke to find him in her dining room, and stole jewellery, a passport and a games console from another victim's house, prosecutors said.

Kennedy admitted two burglaries and a theft - the latter relating to £1,000 he stole from a woman's purse at a bingo hall.

Kennedy, of Heaton Park Court in Heaton, snatched the wallet from a reception desk at Buzz Bingo on Clifford Street, Byker, on18 February 2023, prosecutor Michael Cahill said.

Three nights later, a woman living on Teesdale Gardens was woken by a loud thud downstairs.

When she went to investigate the noise, she saw Kennedy standing in her dining room, Mr Cahill said.

She screamed at him to leave and he ran, taking her car keys and initially attempting to steal her Suzuki Swift, before fleeing on foot, the court heard.

Kennedy had gained entry through a window. A hooded top, with his blood on it, was later found at the scene, Mr Cahill said.

In a statement read to the court, the woman said she had been too "scared" to sleep for months afterwards, and would lie awake listening for creaks in her home.

She said she felt afraid as soon as it became dark outside, and "dreaded" going to bed.

On 19 January this year, a man returned to his home on Stratford Road at approximately 18:20 GMT to find his front door open, the court heard.

He discovered his PlayStation 5 had been stolen, along with various pieces of expensive jewellery, rare coins, a mobile phone and his passport.

Police trawled CCTV and found footage of Kennedy breaking in and spending 10 minutes insided the property, before leaving with a bag.

The victim said he felt "violated" and his privacy had been "torn to shreds", adding thate he felt especially angry at finding his partner's drawers had been rifled through.

"It made me feel I don't want to be in the house any more," the man said.

The court heard Wallace had 100 offences on his record, including 72 for theft or similar.

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].