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Boozy burglars broke into a pizza shop and filled the deep fat fryer with garlic sauce.

CCTV showed youths breaking-into Redcar ’s Pizza Pronto, looting the till before pouring the fatty kebab condiment into the fryer.

Teenager Jason Jackson admitted being the gang’s lookout, with Teesside Magistrates’ Court hearing how they hit the shop twice in a fortnight after downing cans on the street.

The group were looking for an “easy target” to burgle, and picked the Redcar Lane takeaway.

Since the raids, the owner told the court he has spent his nights watching live CCTV on his mobile.

“I’ve been unable to sleep,” he said in a victim statement.

“I’m spending no quality time with (my children) or my wife.”

Thursday’s sentencing heard Jackson, of Queen Street, Redcar, was “mildly autistic”.

“He didn’t want to commit a burglary because he knows it is wrong,” said the probation service, adding the 19-year-old feared he may be “bullied” if he didn’t go along with it.

But the owner was left hundreds of pounds out of pocket by the raids on October 11 and 22.

The freezer was left open, and he also lost cash from the till as well as stock and business.

Previously unconvicted Jackson was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody after admitting two counts of commercial burglary.

But magistrates suspended the sentence for a year after hearing how his “extremely supportive” mum - who sat with him in court - feared he was being driven to crime by his pals.

Probation added: “He says he feels he needs to be loyal to mates.

“Other people in his life seem to think these so called mates are trouble causers.”

And in mitigation, solicitor Liz Magowan added: “He was trying to please other people.”

“He’s a young lad and he is extremely vulnerable.”

Magistrates also electronically tagged him for a fortnight, warning him: “You were very close to going to prison.”