Three burglars who targeted city centre buildings jailed for combined six years

Clive Green, Gary Robinson and James Trott broke into the Brewers Fayre in Sunderland in the early hours of December 13, forced open arcade machines, removed the tills and stole charity boxes and alcohol.

Around an hour after the ransacking, the trio were caught by police in a beer garden trying to get into The Palm restaurant in the city.

During a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court last month, Trott, 42, of Marion Street, Sunderland, was jailed for a total of 37 months for burglary, attempted burglary and an unrelated offence of unlawful wounding.

At the same court earlier this week, Green, 47, of no fixed address, was jailed for two years and two weeks after he admitted burglary, attempted burglary and a racially aggravated public order offence in relation to vile abuse he hurled at a police officer who arrested him.

Robinson, 50, of Marion Street, Sunderland, was jailed for two years and six weeks after he admitted burglary, attempted burglary and breach of a community order.

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The police officer said in an impact statement he feels he is regularly treated differently to his colleagues and added: "I almost feel as if I must accept this treatment, which saddens me."

Judge Tim Gittins said taking the charity boxes was "unpleasant and mean" and added that the police officer should not have to put up with such racist abuse.

The court heard Green and Robinson both have long criminal records.

Ian West, defending, said guilty pleas were mitigation in the case and added that Green is "appalled" by the way he spoke to the police officer, who he would like to apologise to and added that he is not racist.