Sheffield serial burglar is jailed after he struck at a Christian centre and several nightspots

Sheffield Crown Court heard on April 11 how Ryan Haddington, aged 32, of Norfolk Park Road, at Norfolk Park, Sheffield, initially broke into Sheffield Community Church, on Guildford Avenue, and stole £6,000 worth of video equipment which had been used for remote services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prosecuting barrister Gurdial Singh said a rear door was forced open at the centre on August 15, 2021, and the video equipment was taken.

Mr Singh added Haddington also burgled the El Paso restaurant, on Cumberland St, near The Moor, on September 9, 2021, and as police went to a burglary at The Green Room, on Devonshire Street, they were called to a further burglary at Sundaes Gelato, on Glossop Road, and another individual was found nearby with a holdall with goods from El Paso.

Judge Peter Kelson QC told Haddington: “There was a spree of offending and it is against the backdrop of a criminal record for which there are 31 offences.”

Haddington, who has 15 previous convictions for 31 offences, pleaded guilty to all the burglary matters and he requested that two further burglaries at Wellies Diner, on Charles Street, and the Union Diner, on Cumberland Street, be taken into consideration.

The court heard that Haddington left a trail of DNA at the Christian centre and CCTV footage showed him wearing a distinctive jacket during the raid at El Paso.

Tim Gaubert, defending, said Haddington suffers with ADHD, PTSD and a personality disorder and after he had previously been released from prison there was no provision for medication and he started taking drugs and committing these offences.

Mr Gaubert added: “He is now free of drugs. He acknowledges that he is what is often referred to as a ‘revolving-door prisoner’ – he goes into prison, comes out, takes drugs and commits offences. And he has no one else to blame for being that person but he does not want to be that person.”

Judge Kelson told Haddington custody is inevitable before sentencing him to 16 months of custody because the defendant had also still been on licence following his previous release from prison.