THE Dean of York has spoken of the moment he confronted two burglars in his bedroom and persuaded them to leave without most of the items they wanted to steal.

One of the raiders, Andrew Robert Winspear, was on parole from a ten-year sentence for violent robberies. Both he and David Michael Oliver had more than 100 previous convictions when they raided the home of the man in charge of running York Minster. Today they are both starting jail terms.

The Very Rev Keith Jones, 66, said: “I was fairly calm. I thought the important thing was that they should leave the house as quickly as possible, empty- handed. I said: ‘I think you had better go at once.’ Because they were quite docile people, and I left the way to the door open and clear, and I spoke clearly but calmly, they went.

“One of them got out a bag with a lot of stuff in and I said: ‘I think will have that.’ “I will be a bit anxious that my split-second decision to confront them would encourage anyone else to do the same. I walked into the room before I realised what had happened. My great relief was they were quite docile.”

Both men pleaded guilty to the burglary. Winspear, 40, was jailed for two years. He has already been recalled to serve the remainder of the sentence he received in Leeds in 2004 for two violent robberies.

Oliver, 39, who also admitted an unrelated criminal damage, was jailed for 904 days, or about two years and six months.

The Dean said: “The sentences seem fair to me. A burglary is a distressing and frightening thing, even when nobody gets hurt.”

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, for the prosecution told York Crown Court the Dean was shocked to hear voices upstairs when he returned home at about 5.30pm on April 11.

He found Oliver rummaging through a sock drawer in his bedroom, watched by Winspear.

On the floor were bags containing a laptop, jewellery and electrical items from the Deanery that the Dean persuaded Oliver not to take with him.

Winspear made a run for it out of the back door, but was found by police in a nearby residential garden with two watches from the Deanery in his pocket.

The Dean followed Oliver out of the front door until he was arrested shortly afterwards by a member of the Minster Police.

For Winspear, Andrew Semple said he was institutionalised after spending most of his adulthood behind bars.

He had pleaded not to be released into the York area, but had been sent to a hostel in the city where Oliver had been a “friend in need”. He regretted his actions.

For Oliver, Mark Thompson said he was homeless and had been high on drink and drugs during the raid. He had not realised the house was the Deanery and apologised for his actions.

The Dean of York is responsible for running York Minster in conjunction with the Minster’s Chapter.