Burglars caused £4,000 damage to Penwortham store

Martin Kilpatrick, 24, of Delaware Street, Preston, has been jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to burglary and allowing himself to be carried in a stolen car.

Kilpatrick and others travelled to the scene to the Sainsbury’s Local store on Birch Avenue, Penwortham, on April 16 in a stolen car and caused £4,000 damage.

Prosecuting, Karen Brooks said: “The vehicle involved was stolen overnight on April 15. It was a vehicle the owner had purchased two weeks previously.

“It was only when police attended he realised it had been taken.”

The court heard a store supervisor received a phone call at 4.08am from an alarm monitoring company stating there had been a break in.

She added: “He noticed significant damage to the shutters and front doors which had been forced open. The cost to the store will be in the region of £4,000.

“Two males had entered the store using crow bars and carrying a large white bag.

“They approached the cigarette kiosk but the security lighting was activated as a third man entered the store and they panicked and left.”

The court was told Kilpatrick was linked forensically by a Nike footmark on the cash counter.

The stolen car was spotted by police a shirt time after the burglary, leading to a police pursuit.

Three men fled the car and police found two large crowbars inside it.

Kilpatrick, who was 20 convictions for 25 offences, is already serving a jail term from which he was due to be released in June, but will now serve eight more months.

Darren Lee Smith, defending, said: “At the time he had fallen out with his mother, was homeless and was associating with negative individuals.

“He has to grow up. He has a six year old daughter from a previous relationship with whom he has regular contact.

“He realises he has to use his period in prison to improve his foundation.

Judge Andrew Woolman said: “Your offence is aggravated by your previous convictions and by the fact this was committed at night.”