A drunken burglar who stole booze from a pensioner’s home while under a suspended prison sentence has been jailed for more than four years.

Leeds Crown Court heard Andrew Burton was spotted by the 68-year-old victim around 10.30 am on July 24 at an outhouse attached to his Deighton home.

He challenged Burton who said: “I’m family”. The pensioner did not recognise him in any way and told him to leave but Burton did not move, Beth Richardson prosecuting told the court yesterday.

He again told him to go but Burton remained and the pensioner then pushed him to get him out but Burton only pushed him back, causing him to fall backwards on to his kitchen floor with Burton landing on top of him hitting him as he did so.

As Burton got up he also kicked out towards the pensioner although due to his drunken state it barely connected.

Burton then took the key to the back door and left, stealing two litre bottles of whisky, a litre bottle of vodka and 12 bottles of beer from the outhouse as he went.

The police were called and began a search in the area after the victim spotted Burton again on a cycle path nearby wearing only one trainer.

Officers then found Burton very drunk and lying on a wall wearing the other trainer. His top was open and he had scratches on his chest. Because of his drunken condition he was taken to hospital.

Leeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

Two bottles were found in a field next to his missing trainer. The court heard earlier in July Burton was given a suspended sentence for an attempted robbery at a branch of the Co-op when he tried to steal two bottles of Pimms.

Glenn Parsons, representing him, said he had little recollection of events. He believed he had fallen asleep in the outhouse after he had been drinking but did not know how he got there.

When he pushed the pensioner he had fallen on top of him and was ashamed of his actions which happened as a result of the amount he had consumed.

Burton, 35 of Spruce Drive, Netherton, admitted the burglary and was sentenced to 40 months for that offence with the suspended sentence of 12 months activated to run consecutively making it 52 months in all.

Recorder Mark McKone said Burton had a bad record, 43 convictions for 86 offences including previous burglaries and an aggravating feature in this case was that it involved some violence towards the victim.