A burglar has been jailed for four years after he raided a house in Slaithwaite while under a suspended prison sentence.

Stuart Leach was given a chance in August when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court for a burglary at the home of a Marsden woman after the court heard he had handed himself in to the police and helped recover jewellery he had stolen in that offence.

The jewellery, of a sentimental nature, had been sold to feed Leach’s drug habit and was within hours of being melted down when his conscience got the better of him .

He was given a 20 month jail sentence suspended for two years with a drug rehabilitation order but Jonathan Sharp prosecuting told the same court today on October 14 Leach was caught shoplifting a £25 bottle of perfume.

He had removed the security tag but was arrested outside the store involved and said he had wanted to sell it because he was hungry and at that time homeless.

While on bail for that he committed the daylight burglary on November 21 at the address in Lower Holme, Slaithwaite , after getting in by smashing a rear dining room window.

Mr Sharp said Leach made an untidy search and stole laptops, cufflinks, a watch and camera worth more than £2,000 and causing £350 damage.

At the time he was living in a hostel and was seen to return with a laptop which he hid in a bin.

Mark Brookes representing Leach said he realised he had wasted the opportunity given to him.

 After becoming homeless he stole from the shop to get something to eat and then became involved once again with Class A drugs which drove him to the burglary while living at a hostel.

Leach, 23 then of Spring Street, Springwood, Huddersfield, admitted the theft and the burglary which made him a three strike offender.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC told him he had been given an opportunity in August because of the circumstances of that earlier burglary when around £6,000 of jewellery and property was taken and because it was thought he would benefit from the drug treatment requirement.

He had not taken that chance and now had to go to prison. He was given 28 months for the recent burglary with 20 months consecutive from the suspended sentence. The judge imposed six months concurrent for the theft.