Morpeth man pleased as looters taken to court
Looting victim Peter Scott last night told how he was first hit by floods - then by thieves who exploited the disaster.
Father-of-three Mr Scott's house in Morpeth, was raided by jobless Karl Hogg and Craig Miller after it was left ruined in the deluge that saw large parts of the town submerged.
As The Journal revealed yesterday, the thieves travelled from their home to the Northumberland market town to prowl around looking for property they could either scavenge or steal.
Mr Scott, 46, a production manager, had just started a renovation of the ground floor of his home in Bennett Way when the raiders struck, stealing his tools.
Hogg and Millar were given 12-month community orders at Newcastle Crown Court and ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work for their crimes.
Mr Scott said: "It's good news. I was frustrated and angry at the time because they are preying on people who have gone through so much anyway.
"They wanted to come down and take advantage of the situation which makes it even more frustrating."
Hogg, 20, and Miller, 19, both of Houghton-le-Spring, were snared after neighbours grew suspicious at seeing them loading up their flat-bed truck and phoned police.
The pair had climbed over a gate to raid Mr Scott's house and stole all his power tools including expensive drills, saws and a grinder.
They also raided other homes, helping themselves to manhole covers, a metal bin and a trolley from one yard, an iron gate, car exhaust and a set of ladders from another flooded house.
When they were arrested on February 28 last year they still had the goods on the back of their truck, including a rabbit hutch.
Mr Scott added: "Luckily for us, when it happened, some neighbours were suspicious and phoned the police.
"The officers were here in quick time and managed to get back my tools so it didn't set me back too much.
"It's just the thought that they would steal from people in that situation - it frustrated me a lot."
Mr Scott and his family have been relocated to a house in Copper Chare in the town and hope to eventually move back into their old home within the next few months.
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