Brass-necked Sunderland burglar complained to victim after she posted Ring doorbell footage online to track him down

A brazen burglar went back to his victim's home to complain after she shared camera footage of him over social media in a bid to try and catch him. 

Michael Taylor had been captured on the woman's Ring doorbell device outside her home, wearing a distinctive two-tone top, just moments before it was raided on September 15, 2023. 

Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim, who had been out at the time, discovered £4,000 worth of property, including sentimental ornaments, love letters and computer equipment had been taken when she got home. 

In an attempt to catch the culprit, the devastated mother, who was not insured, shared the doorbell footage on social media and various locals named Taylor. 

Prosecutor Emma Hughes told the court a few days later Taylor turned up at the victim's door, in Sunderland, to confront her about the footage and claimed he had simply walked past the house but had not raided it.

However, council CCTV footage showed Taylor, wearing the same two-tone top, get into the back of the house then spend two-and-a-half hours taking what he wanted from it. 

Miss Hughes said: "She had shared the original Ring doorbell footage via social media, to identify the person. 

"Several locals provided the name of the defendant, Michael Taylor. 

"Several days later the defendant came to her front door and a confrontation occurred regarding him being named as being involved in the property being burgled. 

"He said he wasn't involved. He confirmed it was him who walked past, which is why he was on the footage." 

Miss Hughes said it was on October 17 the council CCTV footage, that revealed the full picture of what happened, was received by the police. 

Taylor, 27, of Hume Street, Sunderland, who has previous convictions including house raids, admitted burglary. 

The victim said in an impact statement, which she bravely read in court herself: "I felt violated. I feel like I was personally attacked. 

"A lot of items had sentimental value." 

Mr Recorder Toby Hedworth KC sentenced Taylor to 32 months behind bars. 

The Recorder told him: "The courts have to do what they can to protect people from having to come home and find their homes have been violated and their valuables that they can ill-afford to lose have been lost."

Katie Spence, defending, said Taylor has suffered personal tragedy and read a letter he had written to the court. 

Extracts of the letter said: "I committed the burglary not thinking about the victims at all. 

"Sorry for the distress my crime has caused, not only to my victims but also to my family."

Taylor said in the letter he had found work after his last release from prison but after the death of his brother in 2021 he turned to drugs, which led to him re-offending.