Burglar tracked by police dog
A serial burglar is behind bars after a police dog led officers to the house he was hiding in after a "terrifying" raid.
Paul Reay, who had taken drink and drugs, broke into a terraced house in Sunderland while the residents were asleep, searched around and made off with a bike.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 37-year-old was nowhere in sight when officers arrived but Police Dog Roxy, a BelgianMalinois,hadnoproblem tracking him down to a house in a nearby street.
Reay initially claimed he was not responsible for the break-in but, after police recovered the stolen bike from thehousehewasin,hepleaded guilty to burglary.
He has now been jailed for two years and five months.
The court heard one of the residents at the burgled property at South Hill Crescent, which houses asylum seekers, woke up to the sound of an intruderintheearlyhoursofNovember 7 last year.
Prosecutor Thomas ParsonsMunntoldthecourt:"She heard the door handle to her bedroom being tried. Thankfully, she had locked it. She
heard footsteps going upstairs and after a while believed the intruder had left."
The court heard Reay had searched the property and took the bike, that belonged to the Red Cross, but had been madeavailabletotheresidents.
Mr Parsons Munn added: "One of the officers was a dog handler. She deployed her dog from the rear of the premises.
"The dog tracked from the rear yard, through a back lane to a property at Western Hill.”
The court heard when police knocked at the house Reay spoke to them through a windowandclaimedhehadnokey to open the door.
Officers climbed in and found the key - and the stolen bike - inside.
Theresidentwhohadheard herhomebeingraidedsaidshe was left "terrified" and added: "I live here with women seeking refuge from a place full of danger to a place we thought would give a sense of security. I feel this is not the case."
Reay, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to burglary.
Barry Robson, defending, said Reay has a long-term drug problem and had been the victim of a machete attack in the months before the raid, which caused his mental health to go "through the floor".
Mr Recorder Angus Withington told Reay, who has 42 previous convictions including 12 for house burglaries: "You are a persistent domestic burglar."