9:10pm Thursday 18th March 2010
A teenager who burgling his grandparents’ home in the Cotswolds has done it again, a judge was told.
Last August Sean Collings, 19, of Wiswell, Lancashire, was given a suspended sentence after he admitted breaking into the home of Harry and Ruth Robinson at South Cerney, near Cirencester, and stealing £14,000 worth of valuables.
But seven months later Collings has been back before Gloucester Crown Court to admit that he carried out a further break-in at their home on March 4.
He pleaded guilty to burglary of the house in High st, South Cerney, and theft of DVDs, jewellery and a Wii console and accessories.
Derek Ryder, prosecuting, told the court that the offence made Collings a ‘three strike burglar’ liable to a minimum sentence of three years.
“He is, of course, in breach of a suspended sentence for burgling exactly the same property,” said Mr Ryder.
Steve Young, defending, told the court that Collings is also facing two other burglary charges in Blackburn, Lancashire which are due to be heard by magistrates in Blackburn shortly.
Judge William Hart said if Collings were to admit the Blackburn offences and have them dealt with at the same time as he is sentenced for the new raid on his grandparents home it was unlikely the length of his sentence would be affected.
He adjourned the case until April 8 so that all matters could be dealt with at the same time.
When Collings was given the suspended sentence last summer Recorder Paul Garlick QC said he felt just able to avoid imposing an immediate custodial sentence because Collings had moved to live with his supportive father in Lancashire and had found a job.
After last year’s case Mr Robinson said he was “very disappointed” that his grandson had not received an immediate custodial sentence from the court.
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