Burglar left his baseball hat behind after burgling his Leeds neighbour's home

Dean Day broke into the home on Oak Crescent, Garforth, while the residents were away in early October of last year. The 54-year-old, who lives on the same street, dragged out a pair of ladders to gain access through a window.

Prosecuting the case at Leeds Crown Court, Robert Galley said that while inside, Day opened cupboards and left possessions strewn across the floor. When the couple returned home, they saw their ladders left in the front garden.

They checked their CCTV and spotted that Day, who was wearing a mask, had tried to turn the camera to a different angle to prevent it from recording him. However, the baseball cap he left behind matched his DNA profile.

He later admitted the burglary. He also admitted charges of possessing with intent to supply drugs of Class A, B and C and simple possession of a Class C drug.

Day had been found slumped at a bus stop on York Road in Leeds with a rucksack full of drugs.

The court heard that he has 27 convictions for 60 offences, including multiple non-dwelling burglaries and one previous dwelling burglary. He has been in custody since his November of last year.

A probation report found that the father-of-two’s drug problem had led him back into crime, but had since been clean since he was taken into custody. He had previously worked as a scaffolder and was eager to return to employment.

Mitigating on his behalf, Michael Walsh said he had already served the equivalent to a 15-month jail sentence, given that offenders are usually released at the half-way stage.

Judge Christopher Batty told Day: “You are old enough now to know that you shouldn’t be here. You need to get back to work and get things sorted. You have been punished enough with the time you have spent on remand.”

He gave him an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to carry out 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.