A ‘third strike’ housebreaker who disturbed a woman when he smashed his way into her bungalow at night has been spared an immediate jail sentence.

Jason Green’s lengthy criminal record of 55 previous convictions for 177 offences included 116 thefts or similar matters, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

He had three convictions for house burglary, dating between 2003 and 2012.

Green, 49, of Greystone Close, Eccleshill, Bradford, was spared the three-year minimum prison sentence for a ‘third striker’ by Judge Jonathan Gibson who said it would be unjust to impose it.

Prosecutor Paul Canfield said that Green broke into the bungalow in Idle, Bradford, at 4am on May 15 last year.

He denied the offence, saying it wasn’t him on the CCTV footage, but changed his plea to guilty after the trial date had been set.

The court heard that the woman householder and her parents were in bed when Green smashed his way into the property. She saw him in the conservatory and when she shouted that someone was in the house, he fled with two remote controls.

“Had he not been disturbed, it would not only have been those that were stolen,” Mr Canfield said.

David McGonigal said in mitigation that Green had admitted his guilt once the evidence was there.

He was a ‘third striker’ but his last offence of house burglary was ten years ago.

He was a carer for his father who had mobility problems and other serious health difficulties.

Mr McGonigal conceded that Green should have borne that in mind when he went out at 4am.

He had left the attacked property as soon as he was detected and the items stolen were of little value.

Green was on a plan to become drug free and motivated to co-operate with the probation service.

Judge Gibson said Green committed the offence at night when the woman and her parents were asleep in bed. But there wasn’t a significant degree of planning and he had not gone out equipped for burglary.

He decided not to sentence Green as a ‘third striker.’ His last sentence for house burglary was ten years ago, he was a carer for his ill father and he was engaging well with the help on offer to wean him off drugs.

Green was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, with up to 25 rehabilitation requirement days, a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement, and a six-month curfew order.