A professional burglar put patients at risk when he staged a night raid on the home of two doctors, York Crown Court heard.

Jake Johnson stole an accident and emergency specialist’s medical equipment and the car she uses to travel to her work, said Kelly Clarke, prosecuting.

He also stole the keys of cars and money and cards belonging to her, her doctor husband and their Spanish guests, delaying the visitors’ return home.

Johnson, 28, is a “professional burglar” with a long criminal history of burgling houses and stealing cars including serving four and a half years for burgling four houses and other offences, said the prosecution barrister.

Judge Simon Hickey said doctors couldn’t afford the time to wait for taxis when they respond to callouts.

“Goodness knows what might have happened to patients who may have needed their attention,” he told Johnson about the effect of his crimes.

Johnson, of Crombie Avenue, Clifton, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft of a car and was jailed for four years.

The judge ordered that £750 found hidden in Johnson’s attic by police be paid as compensation to the woman doctor.

The accident and emergency specialist doctor, in a personal statement, said the burglary had had a “considerable practical and financial disruption” to the lives of herself, her husband and their guests.

“The violation of our home and privacy has left us feeling incredibly vulnerable in the place where we should feel safe,” she said. “This will have a lasting psychological effect on us.”

Ms Clarke said the doctors had secured their York home and locked her £20,000 car before going to bed on August 9.

The next morning, the car’s key had been taken from inside the house, and used to steal the car, together with the woman doctor’s bag and other items inside it. Johnson had carried out the raid with others and had not taken a less expensive car also parked outside the house.

Ms Clarke said police tracked Johnson to his home and as they entered, he tried to put the accident and emergency specialist’s key down a plughole. In the house were wallets and cards stolen in the raid.

Officers found the car at the back of a car park in nearby Burton Stone Lane. The court heard the doctor’s bags with its prescription drugs and medical equipment had not been found.

For Johnson, Emily Hassell said he was sorry for his crimes.

He had been using Class A drugs since he was 19. He had got into difficulties with drug dealers and had therefore resorted to acquisitive crime.

He also had mental health problems which taking drugs exacerbated and in the past had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

He was now on a drug-free wing in prison.