‘Useless’ teenage lookout avoids jail

A drunk teenager who acted as lookout during a "smash and grab" burglary has kept his freedom.

Dylan Brown kept watch while his pal, who was a serial house burglar, helped himself to £70 in cash and a speaker worth £15, by reaching in through the window of afamilyhomeinSunderland.

The pair had been caught on CCTV looking "heavily intoxicated, struggling to stand and struggling towalk"beforetheytargeted the house last August.

Newcastle Crown Court heard a child-proof lock was forced to allow Brown's accomplicetoreachinthrough the window, which cost £100 to repair, and help himself to what he could get.

Prosecutor Liam O'Brien told the court: "This wasn't a case where there was any significanttraipsingthrough the property checking every room to find things to steal. It appears to be a relatively opportunisticsmashandgrab."

The court heart the couple who lived at the house were left "upset and angry".

Brown, 19, of The Esplanade West, Sunderland, admitted burglary.

His co-accused was dealt withataseparatehearing and was sentenced to two years and five months in jail under the 'three strikes' rule due to hispreviousconvictions for burglaries. JudgeEdwardBindloss told Brown: "Dwelling house burglaries are always serious because of the affect it has on the people who live in the homes."

But the judge said Brown had a limited role.

He sentenced Brown to a community order for 12 months. Alec Burns, defending,toldthecourt:"He'sauseless lookout, he wanders off several times."