Carl Temple locked up for string of attempted burglaries

Carl Temple was caught on camera footage trying homes on Woodland Road and Elms Road as well as a garage and a parked car in the early hours of the morning.

The 48-year-old drug addict has a string of 105 convictions for 197 offences on his record including eight for burglary, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Charlie Thompson, prosecuting, said: “He tried to enter a Mercedes parked on Elms Road and the walks to the front of Woodland Road where he is caught on a Ring doorbell.

“He tries another house on Woodland Road before going down the side of a property on Elms Road where he tries to enter a garage but is unsuccessful before searching through the garden looking for something to steal.”

Mr Thompson said the attempted burglaries had left the householders fearful of what could have happened if Temple had been able to gain entry to their homes.

Temple, of Chester Terrace, Peterlee, pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted dwelling house burglary, one count of attempted non-dwelling house burglary and vehicle interference on July 26 last year.

Michele Turner, mitigating, said there had been a delay in sentencing to allow time for a psychiatric report to be compiled to determine whether the drug addict was fit to plead.

She added: “He tells me that he has never felt more positive or better being drug free.”

Judge Advocate Tom Mitchell sentenced Temple to a total of 14 months in custody for all offences.

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“You are a habitual thief and to that litany you have eight dwelling house burglaries and 14 non-dwelling house convictions,” he said.

“At 5.23am, you were out and about on the streets of Darlington. It was early, you tried to get into three houses, a garage and a car.

“You did what did within a relatively short period of time and none of your attempts were successful – you didn’t cause any damage.

“I do recognise that this all took place early in the morning with people present – they would be afraid as they would wonder what could have happened if you got in.”