A burglar with more than 100 previous convictions who broke into boats while people were sleeping in them has avoided another prison sentence. Daniel Cowie, who was homeless, claimed he was looking for somewhere to sleep at Royal Quays Marina, in North Shields, when he broke into two occupied vessels.
Around 4am on June 24 this year, CCTV captured Cowie in an intoxicated state as he climbed over a barrier and went to the area where numerous boats are situated. A 72-year-old man who lives on one of the boats was asleep in bed and the sliding door to his home was not locked.
He woke up the next morning to find the door was open. A number of other people informed him his boat had been burgled and he found his mobile phone had been stolen. CCTV from another vessel showed Cowie entering the boat at 4.15am and coming out at 4.19am.
Victims wake to find belongings missing
Another resident, who lives with his wife, had left the door open because it was warm. Rachel Butt, prosecuting, said: "Usually they feel safe because the entrance to the marina is restricted by the security gate fence and there is CCTV."
They woke up around 7.40am and realised the woman's phone and credit cards were missing and the cards had been used to make a number of transactions. Police identified Cowie, 35, from CCTV and he was later arrested in North Shields town centre. The bank refunded the fraudulent purchases but the phones were not recovered.
The 72-year-old said in a victim impact statement: "After the incident, when I had time to process my thoughts, I realised how vulnerable I am. I wonder if I had woken up while the burglary was happening what may have happened." He added that he had lost all the data on his phone and lost work opportunities due to not being able to reply to emails. He said he doesn't hate the perpetrator and feels sorry for him and thinks he needs help.
Cowie's record and sentence
The court heard Cowie, of no fixed address, has 108 previous convictions, including two previous house burglaries, including one of his mother's home when he was just 13. He was jailed last year for robbery and had been released on licence for that at the time of the latest offending.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one of fraud and was sentenced to 20 months suspended for two years with a six month drug rehabilitation requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.
Recorder Christopher Rose said locking him up in the past had not stopped him committing further offences. He told him: "I've just been persuaded in your case to take an exceptional course and suspend the sentence in your case. Part of the purpose of the sentence I'm imposing is so you have a level of help. You should be under no illusions, your previous record is dreadful."
"This will be your last chance. Here on in, the sentences will get longer and they will all be immediate. Embrace this sentence, get yourself permanently clean of your addiction and it's to be hoped your future will be a lot brighter than your past has been."
Katie Spence, defending, said: "He was looking for somewhere to sleep, saw an opportunity and took it." She added that substance misuse is at the root of his issues and said he wants to move to Manchester to be with his partner and family. The court heard character references allude to a better side of his character.
