Teen thief who forced family to cancel their holiday spared jail after 'staying out of trouble'

A family were forced to cancel their holiday after a teenage burglar broke into their home and stole their car the day before. Aaron Gee jumped over his neighbours' fences as he ran from police in an attempt to avoid arrest, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

The judge was pleased to hear 18-year-old Gee had since turned his life around as she allowed him to walk free from court today (May 23) - but warned he could have been locked up for the theft, which left his victims feeling 'unsafe in their own home'. The court heard that Gee, from Blackley, broke into his victims' Middleton home back in September 2020, when he was 16.

Prosecuting, Emma Clarke said that on September 4, the owner went to bed having locked his home windows and with his Ford Kuga car parked on the driveway. But at 3.45am the following morning, police were notified of a burglary and the family were woken by a call from officers.

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Ms Clarke said the victim's wife went outside to discover the car was no longer there, before the family discovered their downstairs window had been opened. The court heard that police identified Gee from fingerprints left at the scene and later visited his home to arrest him, where he was 'seen attempting to escape by jumping over neighbours' fences'.

Ms Clarke added: "[The family] have been left feeling as though they have lost the privacy of their own home." She went on to tell the court that the victims had been due to drive to Wales for a holiday the next day, but were forced to cancel it following the burglary.

She added: "It was likely the offence was committed with impulse but nevertheless