Teenager burgled Rugby house while on licence for causing death of young man

Charles McMorran, aged 18, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to burgling the house in Cherry Grove, Overslade, Rugby.

At the time of the break-in in September last year he was on licence from the 54-month sentence he had been given as a 15-year-old in April 2013 for causing death by dangerous driving.

McMorran was jailed for 876 days, or just under two years and five months, which was the minimum he could be given as a third-strike burglar after getting credit for his plea.

Prosecutor Madhu Rai said that on September 4 a couple went out for the evening, and when they returned to their home in Cherry Grove they discovered it had been burgled.

There had been an untidy search, both downstairs and upstairs, with drawers having been pulled out and the contents of cupboards scattered around.

Two laptop computers, perfume, a Bluetooth speaker and a quantity of cash had been stolen by the burglar, who had left behind a screwdriver on their bed.

At the time McMorran was wanted by the police for breaching the terms of his licence after being freed from a four-and-a-half year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.

He was arrested and returned to custody over that, and after tests revealed his DNA on the screwdriver he was questioned by the police and admitted carrying out the burglary with another person.

In an impact statement the burgled couple pointed out that the computers contained irreplaceable family photographs.

Miss Rai added that McMorran had a number of previous convictions, including three for domestic burglaries.

David Everett, defending, conceded: “Clearly the defendant is going to go back to prison, but I’m going to seek to persuade you it should be no more than three years.

“It is a dreadful record, he recognises that. There is an extremely difficult personal background for this young man.

“He was 15 when he committed the offence for which he was given 54 months custody, having first come to the attention of the criminal justice system when he was just ten and received a caution for criminal damage.

“He has been recalled to continue that four-and-a-half-year sentence, and he knows the sentence Your Honour imposes today will go beyond that.

“He had been wanted on recall because of problems with his curfew, and he went on the run. He had no place to stay and he needed cash; and, with another, he committed the offence.”

Sentencing McMorran, Recorder Christopher Tickle told him: “You could not complain if you were sent to prison for four or five years.

“But I have regard to the fact that you are still immature and still only 18 years of age.

“To lose family photographs is a terrible thing. With your upbringing, you probably don’t realise just how terrible, and I feel sorry for you about that.

“You have had a terrible upbringing, and I can understand you kicking back at the system – but the system’s bigger than you.”