A SERIAL burglar who was part of a gang who stole two cars from a house during a night-time break-in while children were inside has been sent to jail.
“Drug user” Paul Alban, of Cherry Tree Drive, Parr, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, February 17.
Prosecuting, Olivia Beesley, told the court that Alban, 35, and three co-defendants, stole a Ford C-Max and a black Astra from a property in Birchley Street in St Helens town centre during the night of June 2, last year.
Alban had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to burglary, two counts of taking a vehicle without consent and possession of crack cocaine.
She said the owners and “their two children” were at home at the time of the break-in during which “two sets of keys” and “a purse” were taken.
Ms Beesley said the Ford C-Max was seen by police at 2.40am on June 3 “travelling at 80 miles per hour up a 30 area along Merton Bank Road” and “it failed to stop” for officers.
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She said police later located the vehicle parked close to a property in Crow Lane West, Newton -le-Willows.
“The officers noticed several bank cards on a footpath as they entered the property.
“Shaun Jaundrill and Paul Alban were downstairs when the police entered the property and Mohammad Nazif and James Hull were in a bathroom. They could hear porcelain being moved.
“The car keys were found in a toilet system.”
The court heard that “two of the bank cards had attempted to be used” at a service station.
The Astra was also recovered by police “and the defendants (gave) no comment interviews” to police “apart from Mohammad Nazif.”
Ms Beesley added: “This is a greater harm case because” the victims “were at home at the time and this is a high culpability case as he (Alban) was clearly a member of the group.”
Asking for a starting point for the sentence of three years, Ms Beesley said “aggravating features” of Alban’s offending include “previous convictions”, that “children were at home at the time (of the burglary) and the offence was committed at night.”
The court was told Alban had 29 previous convictions for 57 offences, including similar cases of burglary and vehicle taking, and had been jailed for 45 months over one previous incident.
Ms Beesley said that in a victim impact personal statement it was stated the burglary had cost the family hundreds of pounds and that the “steering wheel was out” in one of the cars and had to be taken to a garage.
Defending, Benjamin Jones, referenced Alban’s drug use and said he now “presents as somebody who is sober” and “articulate” and “that’s because he is getting the care in custody now”.
Jailing Alban for three years and two months, judge David Swinnerton said to him: “You have an appalling record, you a user of Class A drugs, particularly crack cocaine, that is what causes you to get into this trouble.
“I understand you are in a much better position, that is easier to achieve in prison. You have to think very carefully how your life is going to be lived when you are eventually released.”
He added: “It aggravates your position that you committed these offences when on licence.
“Other aggravating features are that the house that was burgled was occupied by a family, including two children, aged 12 and nine.”
Judge Swinnerton added: “You are a third strike burglar, this is your fifth strike, so the minimum term is three years. There is clearly greater harm because the occupiers were at home.
He said the aggravating features “render it a more serious burglary and I have to take into account the taking of the two vehicles and possession of cocaine.”
The judge passed a 38-month sentence for the burglary “which reflects the criminality” and two concurrent sentences of four months for the vehicle taking and a one-month concurrent term for the drugs possession.
The sentencing of co-defendants Shaun Jaundrill, 28, of Crow Lane, West, Newton-le-Willows, Mohammad Nazif, 39, of Vincent Street, St Helens and James Hull, 39, of Borough Road, St Helens, who have all pleaded guilty to vehicle taking, was adjourned until March 31.
Jaundrill also pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in relation to a separate matter.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Hull who did not appear in court on Thursday.
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