A teenager who helped give a town the highest crime rate in the district has escaped a jail sentence.

Desperate Gary Sharpe committed almost a third of Billericay's recorded offences during a two-month crime spree.

The 18-year-old stole bread and milk, was forced to sleep in garages and stolen cars after he was made homeless, Basildon Magistrates Court was told. He even used one householder's washing machine and tumble drier after breaking into their garage.

However, magistrates spared Sharpe a prison sentence after hearing how he had simply stolen to survive.

His ordeal came to an end when he was taken in by a compassionate Billericay family who gave him a home - and a job.

Sharpe, of Langley Place, Billericay, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, two burglaries and another two charges of stealing cars.

He also asked for 64 theft and burglary-related offences to be taken into consideration.

Magistrates handed Sharpe a 80-hour community sentence and put him on probation for 12 months.

Sharpe found himself on the streets in December after a row with his mother.

He resorted to stealing bread from freezers and milk from doorsteps to feed himself.

Lisa Morris, mitigating, said: "He has no other family in the area and was effectively on his own.

"He decided the only way he could cope was to sleep rough. When he was arrested he was living in a garage because it was warmer than sleeping outside.

"Using the washing machine is not the mark of a normal burglar."

She added: "At no time did he intend to cause any distress to anyone."

Lynn Officer, prosecuting, conceded the crimes were committed out of "subsistence".

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