A young thug who burgled Huddersfield Town players’ flat and tried to steal the Championship trophy has been jailed.

Tony Cassidy was spotted breaking into the property that the club uses to house players in August.

Izzy Brown, a loanee from Chelsea FC, was the last player to have resided in the house, but is understood to have moved out in July after the season ended.

He was a key figure when the club won promotion to the Premier League last year.

Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner with the trophy after winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium.

A cleaner at the house told Tony, 24, and his younger brother Connor Cassidy, 21, whose flat she was cleaning and the two men targeted it, Leeds Crown Court heard today (Wednesday).

The SkyBet Championship play-off trophy was on display in the property, which is in Spring Bank Corner in Holmfirth.

Around 7.30pm on August 1, the brothers were driven to the house by a male friend. Finding it unoccupied, they forced open French doors and broke in.

They moved the trophy, a Wii and a TV to the exit, but were disturbed by neighbours and didn’t get away with any of the goods.

The brothers, both of Fairlea Road in Taylor Hill, were later arrested.

The court heard that it cost £250 to change the flat’s locks.

Victoria Smith-Swain, defending, said that before the offence took place Tony Cassidy lost his job and suffered a relationship breakdown, which caused him to turn to smoking cannabis.

Kirklees Magistrates’ Court previously heard that Conor Cassidy started smoking the drug when he was nine-years-old.

Ms Smith-Swain told the judge that she did not know which brother had spoken to the cleaner and therefore her client could not be dubbed the leader.

At the time of the offence, Tony Cassidy, who has previous convctions for robbery, burglary, criminal damage, battery and violent disorder, was subject to a suspended sentence for harrassment and breach of restraining order. In September, the sentence of 24 weeks’ imprisonment was activated.

Izzy Brown (left) and Kasey Palmer celebrate Huddersfield Town's promotion to the Premier League.
Izzy Brown (left) and Kasey Palmer celebrate Huddersfield Town's promotion to the Premier League.

In December, both brothers pleaded guilty to burglary at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.

Magistrates immediately sentenced Connor Cassidy to a community order with a 21-day thinking skills programme and nine days of rehabilitation activities. He was also ordered to pay £125 compensation, £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.

But due to Tony Cassidy’s lengthy criminal record, they committed his sentencing to Crown Court.

Recorder Little sentenced Tony Cassidy, who appeared in court from custody, to one year’s imprisonment, of which he will serve half before being released on licence.

Addressing the varying results for the two brothers, Recorder Little told Tony Cassidy: “[Connor Cassidy] is younger than you, he does not have a the same record as you; there is nothing unfair therefore in imposing an immediate custodial sentence on you.”