That’s The Trouble With Today’s Teenagers, No ‘Work’ Ethic…

...I mean, they won’t even travel for opportunities these days…

A teenager burgled his next-door neighbour after she asked his parents to keep an eye on her house while she was away.

A passing motorist spotted Daniel Peter Stannard and Alexander Luke Sandor as they raided the house and alerted police who caught Stannard at the scene, York Magistrates Court heard.

D’oh!

Both burglars were subject to conditional discharges at the time and admitted to a probation officer they took cannabis.

/facepalm

So, how did these poster boys for (dis)organised crime get caught?

… a passing motorist saw a burglar standing by an open bay window inside the victim’s darkened house at 8.15pm on January 5, and another man crouched outside.

“In a very public spirited way, she made contact with the police,” said Mr Ovenden.

Within minutes police arrived. Stannard tried to flee, but only got as far as the front garden.

“Sorry Dad, I’ve gone in next door,” he called out as his father and others went out into the street to see him struggle in the police’s grasp.

Inside, officers found a television, DVD player, sat nav and other equipment had been unplugged and prepared for removal. Both burglars had taken off their shoes so they wouldn’t leave shoemarks, Mr Ovenden said. One window had been forced.

I think they call that ‘bang to rights’!

Stannard’s solicitor Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks said her client felt “acutely embarrassed” by what he had done.

“His parents have also suffered embarrassment over his actions,” she said.

Over the act itself, or the stupidity involved in crapping where you eat, so to speak?

Chris McGrogan, for Sandor, and Miss Robins-Hicks said the burglary had been opportunistic, as the two men had been having a cigarette outside, noticed an open window and decided to go inside. Both solicitors said the offence was out of character and their clients were remorseful.

Magistrates rejected defence claims that the house had not been targeted.

Well, yes. As well they might…

We’re looking at a custodial here, surely?

Both received a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months on condition they do 100 hours of unpaid work and 12 months of supervision, and were ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs.

*sigh*