An Almondbury man kept jewellery discarded by burglars after they ransacked his neighbour’s house.
Patrick Brown admitted holding on to the costume pieces he found strewn in his garden.
He admitted a charge of theft by finding after police found no evidence linking him to the original burglary at the address in Norris Close.
James Weekes, prosecuting, told Kirklees magistrates that the offence took place between June 19 and 24.
He said that the various items taken from Jodie Ryan’s home included a television, a watch and some costume jewellery.
Mr Weekes said: “She reported the matter to police and had her suspicions about who was responsible.
“(This was) because there were footprints going over her gate into next door.”
Mr Weekes said that scenes of crime officers attended at the address but there was no forensic evidence linking Brown to the crime.
The prosecutor said that for this reason the 38-year-old was not charged with burglary.
Magistrates heard that Brown was no stranger to the courts, with 72 offences to his name.
Mike Sisson-Pell, mitigating, said that in June there were a spate of burglaries in the area.
Mr Sisson-Pell said of the jewellery: “It was quite clearly discarded by the burglars and Mr Brown found it in his garden.
“In finding it he should have tried to find out who it belonged to, made enquiries with the neighbours or handed it in to police.”
Magistrates gave Brown a conditional discharge for six months.
They ordered him to pay £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.
