39-month jail sentence for double burglary
A BURGLAR has been jailed after he smashed into a petrol station and fast food outlet on the same night and fled with goods.
Jason Kennedy was part of a group that broke into the two County Durham businesses on December 23 before stealing a till and safe which contained around £700. A hard drive containing CCTV footage belonging to Subway was also taken during the incident.
Durham Crown Court heard Kennedy, 27, burgled the Subway store on Front Street, Framwellgate Moor, and the Tesco petrol station in nearby Dragonville in the early hours of the morning in the run-up to Christmas.
Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said Kennedy and others – who were all wearing balaclavas – smashed into both premises using tools, including
a crowbar and a sledgehammer.
He said: “A Tesco employee saw a car parked nearby and then heard a loud bang and glass shattering. They then saw a group around the car and saw a sledgehammer and a crowbar.
Mr Sabiston said the Subway shop’s door was “kicked through” and a hard drive containing the CCTV was taken, as well as other goods. He said that Kennedy’s DNA was also found.
The court heard Kennedy had previous burglary convictions and received a 40-month prison sentence in 2020 for another crime.
Mark Styles, defending, said Kennedy was “apologetic for getting involved”. He said: “He was not the principal architect of this escapade. He seems to have been encouraged to join in by others.
“They were neither his tools or his vehicle, but he accepts he was involved and he had a prior record for this type of behaviour.”
Judge James Adkin, the Recorder of Durham, said the burglaries had “the hallmarks of professional criminality” and said a safe and till were removed which contained around £700.
Kennedy, of Seymour Street, Horden, was jailed for 39 months after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary.