A BURGLAR has been spared a prison sentence after a night of chaos.

Molly Chadburn stole the keys to her parents Volkswagen Transporter van and gave them to her friends in Worthing.

The vehicle was driven dangerously during a high-speed chase that caused more than £11,000 damage to pursuing police cars.

But Chadburn herself had gone back to a bed and breakfast where her friends had been staying and broke in.

The owner of St Dunstan’s House, who lived at the address, awoke at 4am and was attacked by the 23-year-old as she rifled through his things. She punched and scratched him and stole an iPhone and cash.

At Hove Crown Court Chadburn admitted taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and burglary.

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It was revealed she was high on a cocktail of heroin, cocaine and alcohol when the incident happened on October 4 last year.

Cerys Sayer, prosecuting, told the court Chadburn and her friends had checked in at St Dunstan’s House in Worthing town centre at 7pm.

The group went back to her parents’ home and Chadburn swiped the car keys.

When her parents saw the car being driven off, they called the police and their daughter.

Chadburn told them if they called the police, the car would be “wrecked”.

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Hove Crown Court

She was not in the vehicle, but had handed over the keys to her friends, who were already leading the police on a chase along the A27 towards Shoreham Airport.

That’s where officers “made contact” to crash the VW van to bring the jaunt to an end.

Ms Sayer said the driving was “highly dangerous” and had caused £2,500 damage to the van and £11,000 damage to three police patrol cars.

Chadburn meanwhile had returned back to St Dunstan’s with her friend “Naz” but were locked out.

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They were caught on CCTV breaking a glass door at 4.15am.

Ms Sayer described a “tussle” between the owner and Chadburn, but Judge Shani Barnes said: “She punched him in the face and scratched him.

“That’s quite a fright for a man finding a hysterical girl in his flat in the dead of night.”

Sophie Evans, defending, said Chadburn was remorseful and has no previous convictions.

She was high on drugs, but has since voluntarily gone to rehab to get clean.

Chadburn, formerly of Grand Parade, Worthing, now has temporary accommodation in Hove, Ms Evans said.

The judge imposed a 15-month suspended sentence, with 25 rehabilitation sessions.