A BIBLE was among the haul stolen by burglars who targeted the home of an elderly man while he was out for an early evening drink.

One of the intruders at the property in Barwick Street, Easington Colliery, 26-year-old David William Harrison, today (June 3) admitted being involved in the break-in, on December 1 last year.

Durham Crown Court heard it was his third ‘qualifying’ house burglary conviction, which will trigger a mandatory three-year prison sentence as a ‘third-strike’ offender.

Harrison, of Cardiff Street, Easington Colliery, made his admission on the day he was to stand trial for a further burglary, committed since the Barwick Street offence.

He and co-accused Adam White, also 26, were accused of a break-in at a vacant house in Bradley Street, Easington Colliery, in which a child’s quad bike, a mountain bike and a compressor were taken, between December 26 and 28.

But, following discussions between prosecuting counsel Paul Currer, and defence barristers, Jane Waugh, for Harrison, and Catherine Fagin, for White, the burglary charge was replaced with counts of theft and handling stolen goods.

Harrison admitted theft of the bikes and the compressor, taken from the back yard of the property, while White admitted handling the stolen items.

He also admitted the burglary charge relating to the house in Barwick Street, for which he was to stand trial later this month.

Mr Currer said this was a “far more serious offence”, as the victim was an elderly householder.

“While he went out for a drink in early evening the defendant, accompanied the Crown would say by a co-accused, took a tv set, a watch, a vacuum cleaner, some tools and even a bible.”

Mr Currer said the Bradley Street premises, targeted in the days after Christmas, were empty at the time, with the bikes and the compressor, removed from the rear yard, said to be “of some antiquity.”

Miss Waugh told the court Harrison, “is fully aware of the sentence that awaits, as a third strike burglar.”

Miss Fagin asked for preparation of a probation background report on White prior to sentence.

Judge Christopher Prince agreed and remanded both in custody to be sentenced at the court on a date to be fixed later in the month.