- Homeless Dale Unsworth, 30, has more than 50 convictions for a series of raids
- He claims his life of crime started at four when his father used him as a lookout
A career criminal who started breaking into homes with his father when he was just four is back behind bars after his 15th raid.
Serial burglar Dale Unsworth claimed his life of crime started as a young boy, when his father would lift him through windows to aid in raids or use him as a lookout.
Unsworth, 30, has been racking up convictions for burglary since the age of 13 and has received prison terms totalling more than nine years.
Despite repeatedly getting caught and locked away, homeless Unsworth continues to offend, with a court hearing he takes ‘comfort’ from going back to jail where he has a ‘roof over his head, is warm and fed’.
In his latest crime spree, the crooked thief broke into one home in Gateshead, in Tyne and Wear, while high on valium and tried to raid two more on the same night.
Serial burglar Dale Unsworth has been ransacking homes since the age of four when his father introduced him to a life a crime, a court heard
Newcastle Crown Court heard a householder in Ropery Road returned home on November 26 last year to find phones, medication, foreign currency, a games console and a tablet had been stolen.
That same night, Unsworth also tried to ransack properties in Tynewold Close and Heritage Close, both Gateshead. But the career crook was caught on CCTV and recognised by cops, who had him in custody for something else.
The court heard Unsworth, of no fixed address, has 51 previous convictions including aggravated burglary in September 2019, for which got got four years. In 2017 he was jailed for 42 months for burglary and in February 2017 he got three years for burglary.
In August 2014 he was locked up for three years for three burglaries and in February 2013 he got three years for two burglaries. In November 2011 he was hit with a detention and training order for burglary and in March 2011 a detention and training order for three burglaries.
In August 2010 he got a youth rehabilitation order for burglary and he got the same sentence for another burglary.
Rachel Hedworth, defending, said: ‘He and his brother were left to fend for themselves from an early age. He has vivid memories of trying to toast bread on an electric fire because his brother was crying with hunger.
‘His father was a prolific burglar and they were sent to help keep lookout. He was put through windows at the age of four or five to help.
Newcastle Crown Court (pictured) heard the career thief has more than 50 convictions
‘He was given Valium from the age of 10, which was something his mother had a serious addiction with.’
In relation to the latest offences, Miss Hedworth said he was homeless and ended up taking Valium. She added: ‘He says he would not be brave enough to burgle without having taken the tablets.
‘He hates what he has become. The biggest issue he has is he does not have an address to go to. He says the one comfort about going back to prison is he has a roof over his head, is warm and is fed.’
