A mum was upstairs changing her baby’s nappy when a burglar sneaked into her Kirkheaton home and stole items including keys to a BMW car which was then driven off.
Leeds Crown Court heard a door to the property in Cockley Hill Lane had been left unlocked because the occupier was expecting someone else to return during the afternoon.
Andrew Horton, prosecuting, said it was about 3pm on September 20 and the householder was upstairs with her seven-and-a-half month-old baby and a three-year-old was also in the address when the unknown intruder entered.
The BMW car worth £18,000 was reversed into a wall, damaging it as the thief left, but was later recovered in the Salford area of Manchester after automatic number plate recognition recorded it driven in tandem to that area with a VW Scirocco car.
Mr Horton said as a result of that Steven Bridgford was traced as the driver of that second vehicle, having been given permission by the owner to use it that day.
He subsequently admitted driving the burglar to Huddersfield. He said he had remained in the VW and never entered the house but accepted he knew the plan was to get keys and take a vehicle.
The householder was more than £4,000 out of pocket as a result of items taken, paying for repairs to the BMW as well as the cost of other transport until it was recovered.
Mr Horton said she also described herself as being in fear since and jumping at noises.
Carl Richmond, for Bridgford, said he felt genuine remorse and understood the upset to the complainant and offered to apologise to her in person.
Bridgford, 36 of Tenbury Close, Salford, admitted burglary and theft and was jailed for two and a half years.
Recorder Gregory Perrins told him while it was accepted he had not gone into the premises he was part of a joint offence where a house and car were targeted and his accomplice had gone inside while a woman was upstairs with her baby.
