Jail for thief caught with pepper spray

A thief caught with an illegal pepper spray weapon has received a jail term.

Radoslaw Chmielewski is already serving 16 months behind bars after leaving a pensioner “very shaken” when she awoke to find him stealing sentimental jewellery from her Washington home.

Now he has been dealt with by magistrates for offences committed just before the January 12 burglary.

Chmielewski, 38, whose address was given in court as Holme House Prison, Stockton, admitted possessing a pepper spray weapon in Washington on January 3.

He also pleaded guilty to stealing a £40 diagnostic machine from a car in Washington the same day.

Sunderland Magistrates’ Court has jailed him for eight weeks and ordered him to pay a £122 victim surcharge.

The sentence will run concurrently rather than in addition to the 16 months’ imprisonment he received at Newcastle Crown Court in March for the burglary.

The crown court heard that the 89-year-old widow woke to find a “dark figure” near her chest of drawers. Chemielewski, a former caretaker who previously lived in Washington, escaped with food and jewellery, including the late husband' s pocket watch and her wedding ring. The crown court was told that she was so traumatised she decided to move home. He admitted burglary and three separate offences after he was caught trying car door son Washington’ s Coach Road Estate.

His barrister said Chemielewski lost his job, relationship and home because of heroin and was homeless and penniless when committing the offences.