'Immature' teenage tearaway with 'appalling' record 'like a cat with nine lives' - but is 'on his 12th or 13th'

A tearaway teenager who clocked up an "appalling" string of 29 offences has been described as being like a cat with "nine lives" – but he is already on his "12th or 13th" life.

"Immature" serial thief Harrison Hadley has repeatedly managed in the past to avoid being locked up and his run of good luck continued when he again narrowly avoided being sent down. A successful plea was made at Hull Crown Court for him to be given "one more chance".

But he was warned that if he did not change his ways, he risked getting "prison sentence after prison sentence after prison sentence" and he would end up "serving a life sentence in instalments".

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Hadley, 18, of Kinthorpe, Orchard Park estate, Hull, admitted burglary, attempted burglary and theft.

Blaise Morris, prosecuting, said that Hadley and another male went to shared accommodation used by students of the University of Hull on Beverley Road, Hull, on March 19. Hadley took an electric bicycle belonging to one of the occupants.

A student heard a loud bang and went to investigate. A pair of sunglasses was found inside the property and Hadley's DNA and fingerprints were later found on them. One of the bicycles that Hadley and his accomplice arrived on was later found.

In an attempted burglary on January 7, Hadley was part of a group of youths who approached a courtyard near a University of Hull sports centre. They tried to get into a bicycle shed using bolt croppers but did not manage to do so. Hadley was identified by police from a CCTV picture retrieved from university cameras.

On November 20, Hadley stole a bicycle but he was identified from CCTV. He had convictions for 26 previous offences, 16 of them for theft or similar. During police interview, he made no comment to all questions.

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Hadley had an "appalling record" of previous offences but, apart from a spell in custody on remand for these offences, he had managed to avoid custodial sentences in the past.

"They say that cats have nine lives and a short lifespan," said Mr Hammersley. "He is perhaps on his 12th or 13th already."

Mr Hammersley asked for Hadley to be given "one more chance" through a suspended sentence and said that the teenager was "under no illusions" about what would happen if he failed to take any chance that was given to him.

"He is clearly immature and has a lot of growing up to do," said Mr Hammersley. Hadley's time on remand at HMP Hull, before he was later given bail, was his first experience of custody.

"It has scared the living daylights out of him," said Mr Hammersley. "If he continues down the path he is on, he is simply going to face prison sentence after prison sentence after prison sentence and he will be serving a life sentence in instalments.

"His time in custody has given him a level of insight and understanding, not just of the inherent wrong he has done on this occasion and others. He would wish to apologise to those who have been hurt by his actions.

"He feels ashamed about what he has done. Custody has certainly had the desired effect of him rethinking where his life is going.

"He is young and clearly impressionable. This last chance is the best hope of preventing further offending and making sure that he doesn't spend the rest of his life before the courts."

Most of Hadley's previous offending was committed to feed his drug addiction and he had a previous history of failing to comply with court orders. He had, according to his mother, done "amazingly" well since being on bail and he had been going to work with his stepfather and uncle. Hadley's girlfriend was expecting a baby in November.

Judge Tahir Khan KC told Hadley: "You have an unenviable record of offending over the last few years from 2020. You are already on a community order and sailing close to the window."

Hadley was given a 16-month suspended custodial sentence. The requirements of a community order that was made on February 1, for stealing a bicycle, will continue.

"Speak to the probation service and do what they tell you to do otherwise you will be going back to prison," said Judge Khan.