'Regretful' career burglar who broke into Wakefield house while 14-year-old was home alone is labelled a liar

Craig Warriner, who is a serial criminal with numerous house break-ins on his record, left the teenager terrified when he let himself and stole money she had saved.

He claimed he was "disgusted with himself" in a letter he wrote to Leeds Crown Court in return for a reduced sentence. He also said he "wished he could turn back time to put things right".

But Judge Ray Singh laid into the 32-year-old , calling his words "patent nonsense", having only been released from custody months before.

He said: "Within six months of your licence expiring, you were back at it again. You have not changed your ways whatsoever.

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"You have no idea the impact your offending has on individuals who work hard to save money and make their house a home. Individuals like you invade their privacy and think it's perfectly fine to walk into their house and steal items. You still will not learn. You are not going to learn, you simply will not stop."

Warriner, of no fixed address, targeted the home in the Belle Vue area of Wakefield on February 16.

The adult female occupant left the address to go to work with her 14-year-old daughter at home. Warriner let himself in via the patio doors, before sneaking upstairs and stealing the young girl's money and then jumping over the back wall and fleeing.

In a victim impact statement, the girl said she was now scared to be left on her own, with Judge Singh describing it as a "frightening experience for her".

Warriner admitted one count of dwelling burglary. He has 17 previous convictions for 39 offences, many for house burglaries.

Mitigating, Jo Shepherd backed up Warriner's words, and added: "He deeply regrets what he did. He had no idea there was a young girl at the address."

She said his previous convictions are linked to his drug address and that he was also a carer for his girlfriend. Judge Singh jailed Warriner for 32 months.