Teen burglar jailed after CCTV caught him raiding 20 homes in week long crime spree

CCTV captures a teenager as he tries people’s front doors and attempts to break into cars, during a week long crime spree which landed him in jail.

Mason Jones, 18, admitted 17 counts of attempted burglary, two counts of burglary and one count of theft of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 28 months in a youth offenders’ institution.

Jones attempted to break into ‘a dozen’ houses during the early hours of Jan 21. A BMW vehicle was also stolen from outside a house on the same night. This spate of offences led to further patrols being put in place in the area, but there were two more reports of attempted break-ins nearby just after 2am on January 28.

Officers swooped on the area and arrested Jones 500 metres away from the scene. Initial enquiries quickly linked him to a further series of recent attempted burglaries across North Tyneside.

Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Fenney, of Northumbria Police, said: “We are pleased with this result following a series of offences which will have unsettled the community.

“Burglary is an invasive crime which can unfortunately leave victims feeling unsafe in their own homes. We are confident the outcome of this case will be welcomed by the community, and also reassure residents that we will not hesitate to take action.”