A FORMER homeless teen who trespassed into an unoccupied property and lived there before stealing a £1,000 boiler has been given a chance to turn his life round.
Jamie Martin, 19, of Nottingham Road, Somercotes, pleaded guilty to the burglary dwelling and theft offence during a hearing at Chesterfield magistrates’ court on Monday.
The court heard how Martin had no where to live after a dispute with a relative and got into the unoccupied home on Adelaide Walk, Ironville, and stole and sold the copper boiler for scrap but the youngster has been spared jail.
Defence solicitor Bob Bashforth said: “He was familiar with the house and it was empty. He had a fall out with a relative and had no where to live. He said he lived there for a week and helped himself to the water tank to trade it in for scrap.”
Martin, who has previous convictions for thefts, a shed burglary and for a driving matter, had got into the property in August through an insecure window, according to the court, but the owners later discovered the tank was missing and police found Martin’s fingerprints.
However, the court heard how Martin is now living with his brother and is working as a meat packer and doing well overcoming a cannabis addiction.
Dep District Judge Richardson sentenced Martin to a six week community order with a six week curfew from 8pm to 5am and ordered him to pay £85 in costs.
He told Martin: “I’m treating this as a theft rather than a burglary because of the circumstances under which you entered the premises.”