Serial burglar broke into sleeping family's home
Northumbria PoliceA serial burglar who broke into a family's home on Halloween while they were asleep and left them "absolutely terrified" has been jailed.
Lee Hepplewhite's victims were awoken by the sound of him running down their stairs after he had smashed his way in through a back door, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
The 39-year-old from South Shields later stole tools from a van and kicked a police officer during his spree on 31 October, the court heard.
Hepplewhite, a drug addict with 121 offences on his criminal record beginning when he was a child, admitted burglary, theft and assaulting an emergency worker. He was jailed for more than two and half years.
The couple and their seven-year-old child were asleep in their South Shields home when the woman was awoken by the sound of someone running down their stairs at about 02:30 GMT, prosecutor Miah Nath said.
Her partner shouted out and they heard more movement as Hepplewhite, who had smashed a door window to get in causing £500 worth of damage, fled empty-handed, the court heard.
In a statement read to the court, the woman said the break-in had left the family "absolutely terrified" and the thought of someone being in their home while their child was asleep was "really" upsetting.
'Violated family's security'
Shortly after fleeing the scene, Hepplewhite got into a van and stole £9,260 worth of tools, the court heard.
Police officers saw him a short while later carrying the tools and wearing blue surgical gloves, Nath said.
After being arrested and taken to Southwick Police Station, Hepplewhite kicked a custody sergeant in the knee, the court heard.
The court heard his record included 54 theft or kindred offences, and he was a third-strike domestic burglar.
In mitigation, Jane Foley said Hepplewhite was stealing to fund his "long-standing" drug addiction and he believed the home was empty.
She read a short letter he had written to the victims in which he apologised and said he was "ashamed" of his actions.
Craig Hassall KC said the family's terror was understandable and Hepplewhite, of Hatfield Square, had "violated" their sense of security.
Hepplewhite was jailed for 926 days.
