Retired burglar ‘cannot cope on the streets’

After five minutes the driver went into the pub but Stewart had left through a rear door, she said.

Screwdrivers and superglue

Then, in the early hours of 28 September, a householder in Brampton was woken by his wife, who had seen on a doorbell camera a man wearing a balaclava, gloves and dark clothing.

Stewart insisted he was passing through the garden and had not tried the door handle but was arrested and searched and was found to have a balaclava, gloves, two screwdrivers and some superglue.

The judge described him as a career thief and burglar, to which Stewart replied: “That was in my past, I am retired now.”

“Your record doesn’t seem to suggest that,” district judge Holden responded.

Campbell, mitigating, said Stewart had spoken of being “institutionalised” and told the court he “can’t cope on the streets very well”.

“These two offences were deliberately carried out by him in order to be recalled,” he said.

“He just couldn’t stomach being back in society again.”

Stewart admitted making off without payment and going equipped for burglary.

The court heard he had been recalled to prison to serve the balance of the four-year jail term he was given in 2024 and is due for release in June 2028.

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