A robber who celebrated his release from jail by breaking into another house within 17 hours of his release, has gone straight back to prison.
Colin Jones, has just got out from a 40 month stretch behind bars but couldn’t help himself just hours after he regained his freedom.
On the evening he was released the 43-year-old broke into a family home, whilst a mum and her three young daughters were asleep.
Jones managed to steal the car from the driveway along with other high valuable goods on December 15 around 3am.
Now Jones, who has racked up 171 previous convictions over the past 30 years, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Jones broke into the house in Ashington, Northumberland following his release at 10am on December 14 from HMP Northumberland, according to Newcastle Chronicle.
Recorder Richard Wright QC told him: “You lasted not 24 hours before you resorted to your old habits in deliberately violating the home of a member of the public by breaking into her home, a house that contained three children asleep in bed.
“They were, no doubt, traumatised by the knowledge somebody crept into their home and violated it in the way you did.
“You are a professional burglar of houses.
“The public are, at least, given a break from you while you are locked up. That’s the only way in which the public can be protected from you and your burgling ways.”
During the break in, Jones stole a £16,500 Vauxhall Grandland as well as cash, a phone belonging to one of the children and an Aldi receipt.
Police later found the car in Newcastle and Jones returned to it and was arrested.
The victim of the burglary said: “This has had a significant effect on me and my daughter was freaked out at the thought of someone being in our home while we were sleeping.
“I did leave the door open by accident but no one has the right to come in and steal from me.”
The court heard Jones, was homeless after being released from prison but had rebuffed attempts by the Probation Service to help him.
Penny Hall, defending, said he did want help and claimed he had stolen the car to sleep in while he found somewhere to stay.
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