A BURGLAR caught after police found him unconscious on a Carlisle street hours after the crime, carrying his loot, has been jailed for a year.
Andrew George Morris, 34, crept into man’s home at Flower Street in the city after forcing a rear gate at around 10pm on October 26.
The homeowner, who was upstairs, heard noises coming from the kitchen and, as he went to investigate, saw Morris leaving the property. The intruder had snatched a wallet belonging to the occupant which containing identify details and bank cards.
“Police were contacted and the defendant was seen at 7-25am the next day on Bowman Street, unconscious,” prosecutor Charles Brown told Carlisle Crown Court today (MON). “In his possession was the wallet.”
Morris, of Cant Crescent in the city, admitted burglary.
Mark Shepherd, defending, said Morris had been abusing Valium at the time, taking the substance “morning, noon and night” after his life “spiralled into drug addiction” as a result of family bereavement.
The court heard he had no recollection of the burglary and blamed his bad behaviour on a “bad batch” of Valium tablets. But, said Mr Shepherd: “Through me, he asks to apologise to the victim of this matter for what he acknowledges must have been a frightening ordeal.”
Morris was jailed for 12 months by Judge Nicholas Barker, who was asked to consider suspending any prison term. But the judge concluded in view of the defendant’s history of dishonesty offending and court order breaches: “I do not consider at the moment there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation such would be necessary under a suspended sentence order.”
