A serial offender was caught on camera trying to break into a property while wearing a tag, a court has heard.

Darren Broome, 42, who has 22 previous convictions for 78 offences, including burglary offences, had been trying to break into a property in Bradwell, near Great Yarmouth.

Norwich Crown Court heard that the woman was woken when her door camera recorded Broome trying to get in.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said the offence was “very straight forward”.

He said: “He was trying doors at the property captured on CCTV.

“He managed to get himself captured on CCTV and was wearing a tag so I don’t think you could describe it as a professional offence.”

Mr Youell said Broome was identified by a police officer after being caught carrying out the offence on CCTV.

Broome, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence on Wednesday (April 15) having previously admitted attempted burglary on September 17 last year.

Michael Clare had previously mitigated for Broome who had a drug problem.

He said his parents had a shed available to him where he could be isolated from them during the current coronavirus lockdown if needed.

Judge Stephen Holt, who conducted the sentencing hearing over Skype following the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, described it as a “far from professional attempt” to get into the property.

Judge Holt said the offence was aggravated by Broome’s previous convictions.

But the judge did say that Broome had received some good reports from the prison authorities which the defendant himself was rightly proud of.

Judge Holt sentenced him to four months imprisonment suspended for two years.

Broome was also made the subject of a drug rehabilitation requirement (DRR) and a 25 day rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR).

Judge Holt told the defendant that it was “over to you”.

But he warned Broome that he would keep going back to prison if he could not break the cycle of offending he had been locked into up until now.