'Truly appalling' - Burglar jailed after brave South Shields brothers foil escape by pinning him to bed
Offender had 107 convictions but was caught by the brothers after he attempted to escape from their ground-floor flat.
Two brave brothers kept a burglar pinned to a bed until police arrived after they caught him trying to escape from a window at their ground-floor home.
Serial raider Merrick Ainslie was climbing out of the flat in South Shields, South Tyneside, with a carrier bag of stolen possessions, on July 19 when he was spotted by one of the siblings.
Newcastle Crown Court heard both brothers then pinned him down until the police got there, while Ainslie told them he did not want to go to back prison and even tried to negotiate a payment in return for his freedom.
Ainslie, 43, of Saint Leonard Street, Sunderland, who has 107 convictions, admitted burglary and has today been jailed for 40 months, plus 10 weeks from an earlier suspended sentence which was activated.
Judge Sarah Mallett said Ainslie has a "truly appalling record" for house burglary.
Prosecutor Omar Ahmad told the court both brothers had been at home at around 11.15 when one went into his bedroom to take a Facetime call.
Mr Ahmad said: "He saw the defendant attempting to exit this bedroom, climbing out of the window, with a plastic bag filled with possessions.
"The complainant reacted by grabbing the defendant's legs while shouting for his brother to assist.
"His brother arrived and assisted in trying to pull him back into the room.
"Both noticed another male stood outside the window and saw the defendant pass the bag to this male, while saying 'pass the knife to me'.
"The male did not produce a knife but began to tell the complainants he was a police officer and would take the defendant to the police station then ran away.
"The complainants were able to pull the defendant from the window, detained him in the address and pinned him to the bed until the police arrived.
"During this time he was attempting to negotiate, offering them money to let him go as he didn't want to go back to jail."
In an impact statement, one of the victims said what happened was "infuriating", after he works hard to buy his own possessions.
He added he now feels anxious someone else could target his home at any time.
Annalisa Moscardini said Ainslie had been drinking as it was the anniversary of his dad's death and added: "He's a drug user, he doesn't often drink."
Miss Moscardini said Ainslie had been living homeless in South Shields and has little recollection memory of what happened or who the other man was but is "deeply ashamed".