A criminal who has spent about 10 years of his life in prison has branded himself a “scumbag” after his latest catalogue of offences, including three callous burglaries, led to him being jailed yet again.
Ryan Miller had spent so much time behind bars in recent years that he was “serving a life sentence in instalments”. One of his victims was left “shocked and upset” after he raided her home and stole her beloved car – and a man found his late-night encounter with Miller an “utterly petrifying” experience, Hull Crown Court heard.
Miller, 25, of Jarratt Street, Hull city centre, admitted burglary and theft of a vehicle on January 19 this year, two offences of burglary on April 16 last year and January 20 this year, and two offences of causing criminal damage on February 18 and March 18 last year.
Billy Torbett, prosecuting, said that a woman parked her car outside her home in Beverley Road, Kirk Ella, on January 19 this year. She left the keys for the car hanging up in the kitchen on a hook in the fridge.
“She went to bed at around midnight and fell asleep at around 1.30am,” said Mr Torbett. “She came downstairs at about 10.50am and got ready to go to work. Upon going to leave the house, the victim noticed that her keys were no longer hanging up and that her vehicle was no longer on the drive.”
There were no signs of forced entry to the house and it was suspected that an intruder entered through an insecure door. Police spotted on CCTV a man on a bicycle enter the driveway at 9.48pm. The car was seen leaving the drive at 10.35pm.
The woman later said: “This has left me feeling shocked that someone has stolen my car and has come into my house. I am upset due to the fact that I am attached to my car and it cost me a lot of money, for someone to then come along and steal it without any thought. I work very hard for my money and so nobody has the right to take things from me that I have worked for.”
Miller also burgled Willerby News in Main Street, Willerby, on January 20 this year by entering through the back door. The owner noticed that a crate of milk, valued at £41.99, was missing and that vapes, valued at £300, were also not there. He checked CCTV and saw a man enter the store through the back door. Miller was identified.
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In another offence, Miller burgled the Norland public house in Hessle on April 16 last year by entering through the back door, going upstairs and trying the handle of the flat where the landlady lived. He entered the pub kitchen, took the keys to a walk-in fridge freezer and entered the freezer.
“He was then caught by the chef, ran off and threw away the keys,” said Mr Torbett. Miller shouted words to the effect: “I almost had you.”
In a criminal damage offence on February 18 last year, Miller threw a stone through a window at his ex-girlfriend’s home after banging on the front and back windows and demanding to be let in at about 2am. She refused. “He accused her of having a man inside the house,” said Mr Torbett. Miller smashed the glass, opened the window lock and climbed inside, damaging a blind. She told him to leave and he did so.
In another criminal damage offence on March 18 last year, Miller damaged a security light after it was earlier activated at about 10.30pm when he approached a motorcycle in a man’s front garden. Miller was apparently scared away when the occupier arrived on the scene. The man found the incident “utterly petrifying”.
Miller also admitted making off without paying for £20 of petrol at a garage in Boothferry Road, west Hull, and driving while disqualified on January 21 this year.
The court heard that Miller’s previous convictions included being jailed for three years in 2017 for burglary and for just over four years in 2019 for robbery. He was jailed for three years in 2023 for drug dealing and for 15 months in July last year.
Connor Stuart, mitigating, said that Miller had an unenviable criminal record and he turned to drugs after suffering problems, including bereavements. “He is now in a very different position than he previously was,” said Mr Stuart. “He is entirely clean of substances.”
Miller, who was in custody on remand, told the court: “I would just like to apologise. I have been a scumbag.” He said that he believed that he had spent about 10 years of his life in prison.
Judge John Thackray KC told Miller: “Some people never recover from having their home burgled. You have got a record going back a long time. You are essentially serving a life sentence in instalments.”
Miller was jailed for two years and four months. As he left the secure dock to be taken down to the cells, he said: “Thank you. Take care.”
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