A criminal couple who burgled a pensioner’s house and a family caravan while on their honeymoon have been jailed.

The pair, from Hartlepool, were caught trying to use stolen cash and cards to pay for their stay in a hotel.

They will now spend their first few anniversaries apart after being jailed for a total of four years and four months.

They were arrested within hours after being caught on CCTV and the only times they have seen each other since has been in court.

Young was jailed for three years and two months and Marshall for one year and two months by Judge Phillip Wassall at Exeter Crown Court.

Both of the break-ins happened within yards of the Suncrest Hotel where the pair were staying during the week after the August Bank Holiday.

Miss Caroline Bolt, prosecuting, said that one family returning from a day out found Marshall climbing out of the bottom door panel of their caravan at and escaping in Young’s VW Bora with £120 of their holiday money.

A few hours later the 81-year-old widow was disturbed at her home by Young, who claimed to be a carer sent to check on her.

Once inside he ransacked the property as she sat helplessly in her chair, before making off with all of her bank cards and the key to her mobility scooter.

The pair were arrested hiding in undergrowth after returning to the same address in the early hours to try to burgle it again and Marshall had the cards on her.

She told police she had come down from Hartlepool with her new husband, who had taken heroin after falling in with the wrong people.

He has numerous previous convictions from burglary and had only been freed from a three year sentence months earlier.

Mr Paul Dentith, defending Young, said he had been doing well on a methadone script before going off the rails during his holiday in Devon.

Mr Martin Salloway, for Marshall, said she had only been married to Young for a few weeks. He said: ‘She does not make any excuses although there were all sorts of reasons why this happened.

‘They got married and she has two children from an earlier relationship who are being looked after by their father.’

Judge Wassall told them: ‘You both have bad records and this offence is aggravated by the fact one victim is an elderly lady living alone who would have been very disturbed by intrusion, even though no direct threats were made.’