Connor Bradley, a 32-year-old man from County Durham, was imprisoned for ten years in 2015 following convictions for the rape of one child and eight sexual assaults on another, offences described by his own barrister as 'abhorrent' due to his 'inappropriate interest' in young girls.
Released from prison in June 2023, Bradley struggled to adjust to life outside and turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. However, just months later, he embarked on a spree of burglaries. On December 3, 2023, shortly after midnight, he broke into a house on Bracken Road in Darlington, where a mother and daughter were at home. He stole a rucksack containing a phone, four bottles of vodka, £35 in cash, and a bank card, with the total value amounting to £405. Bradley then used the stolen bank card to make purchases totalling £20.25 at a Shell garage on Woodland Road and vending machines in Darlington Memorial Hospital in the early hours of that morning.
- The householders awoke to find their front door wide open and a handbag displaced, prompting them to call the police.
- An officer recognised Bradley from doorbell camera footage at the scene.
While still at large, on December 7, 2023, in the early hours, Bradley targeted a property on Fifth Street in Consett. He climbed onto an upturned recycling bin to access an ajar bathroom window but was disturbed by the householders and fled empty-handed. His fingerprints were later found at the scene, and he was captured on CCTV in the area.
Bradley, of Bessemer Street in Ferryhill and formerly of Spennymoor, was arrested shortly thereafter. He admitted to two counts of burglary and one count of fraud by false representation at Durham Crown Court. The court heard that Bradley, labelled a paedophile, had four prior convictions for 13 offences, including the 2015 sexual crimes.
In mitigation, barrister Penny Hall stated that Bradley had 'struggled to adjust in the community after serving the long sentence and struggled to cope, turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism'. She noted his early guilty pleas, acceptance of responsibility, remorse, and a 'positive plan' for his eventual release. However, Judge Jo Kidd remarked that the pre-sentence report 'does not make for happy reading', highlighting a 'consistent pattern of poor compliance' with the Probation Service.
Judge Kidd imposed a two-year custodial sentence, of which Bradley would serve 40 per cent before release on licence. The case was reported by The Northern Echo, with details from Durham Crown Court proceedings.