Preston burglary victim's horror as she finds machete, hand ties and baseball bat when she recovers her stolen car

Jamie Rawling-O’Grady, 29, and currently of HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, appeared by video link at Preston Crown Court and admitted six burglaries, four car thefts and damage.

One victim was horrified to find a machete, hand ties and a baseball bat in her stolen car when she went to retrieve it, fearing they could have been used.

A £33,000 BMW X3 belonging to another victim, Preston doctor, Dr Rajesh Kumar, was stolen from a house on Sharoe Green Lane, Preston, and was sold for just £100 by the drug addled defendant for his next hit.

Preston Crown Court heard on May 24 last year Rawling-O’Grady entered two homes on Winmarleigh Road, Preston.

From the first he stole an Apple I Pad, Toshiba laptop, Experia mobile phone, handbag, purse, vehicle keys and a VW Polo, and from the second he stole a TV, X Box and controller, clothing and alcohol to the value of £640.

The court heard at around 11pm, the victim went to bed, but at 4.50am she heard a scraping noise down the stairs.

She found her handbag had been emptied out, the window in the utility room was open and that the car keys and car were gone.

In a victim impact statement she said it happened at a very unfortunate time for her family, when they were grieving for her sister, and amid other stresses and strains in the family.

She said it was a “tremendous shock” to think someone could come into the house uninvited, and had made her and her husband nervous.

Three days later he burgled houses on Banbury Drive Preston and Shire Bank Crescent, and stole a Toyota Urban Cruiser and another VW Polo.

He also damaged a Vauxhall Movano motor vehicle.

The father-of four’s defence lawyer described his loss of employment, drug relapse and homelessness as a “perfect storm”, and added: “ He became obsessed and fixated with having money for drugs in order to get his next fix.”

Jailing him for 44 months, Recorder Neville Biddle said: “Your life has been completely blighted by drug abuse.

“Many people have tried to help you over the years but so far it’s to no avail.

“You entered that horrible cycle of craving drugs and being prepared to do almost anything to get them.”