AN Orford burglar was jailed after stealing the keys from a resident’s home and speeding off with the vehicle in a planned car theft.

Terrence Maughan, of Weavers Fold, was caught on doorbell camera footage reversing the car off the drive after having spoken to a lodger who lived at the address on a previous occasion.

Prosecuting, Anna Bond said the initial incident happened on May 18, this year.

She said Maughan knocked at the door of the address in Preston at 4am claiming he was lost.

On May 26, the doorbell camera footage showed the defendant walking past the door of the house again.

The lodger looked outside after hearing a disturbance to see her landlord’s car being reversed out of the driveway.

Police were alerted to the vehicle and managed to stop Maughan in his tracks.

The 33-year-old blew a reading of 59 when he was tested with a breathalyser on the roadside and was found without insurance.

Maughan managed to damage the front and rear bumper of the vehicle during his short get away.

Miss Bond said the victim who encountered Maughan has since been affected by the burglary and that it caused her ‘considerable stress’.

The defendant has a rack of previous convictions, 45 in total, relating to 105 offences.

Defending, Jimmy Vakil read out a short statement written by the defendant which said: “I am sorry to the victims for what I have done. I feel remorse to the victims for what I have done.”

Mr Vakil said Maughan had been living on the streets when the incident occurred.

“He had relapsed into drinking and drugs after being stabbed. He has a personality disorder.

“He had a traumatic up bringing and went from care home to care home.”

Concluding, Judge Mathieson said: “I am told that you have had a hard and tough up bringing and a long-standing addiction to drugs.

“You started your offending in your teens and you have never stopped.

“You have at various times had opportunities to correct your offending. You cannot break the cycle.

“You targeted this house a few days before. This is not a stand-alone burglary. You are a menace behind the wheel, you know that, and you do not care.”

The defendant appeared before Preston Crown Court last Friday, July 30, facing charges of burglary, theft of a vehicle and drink driving.

Maughan was handed a three-year sentence for burglary as well as a six-month sentence that will run concurrently for taking the vehicle. He was also disqualified from driving for two years.