A BURGLAR who was caught after he fell asleep in the house he was raiding has been jailed.

Lee Michael Jefferson took his grandmother’s mobility scooter to the house and parked it outside, loaded with items from the home’s shed, York Crown Court heard.

He searched through the householder's jewellery, bedroom and other rooms and got hold of her bank and loyalty cards.  

Then he went to sleep in an armchair. 

Kelly Clarke, prosecuting, said the burglar didn’t respond when the elderly householder returned from shopping, saw part of his head through a window and yelled: “What the …….. hell are you doing, get out!”

Police had to break into the house to arrest Jefferson after he had locked himself inside.

The householder had lived there for more than 50 years and the burglary left more than £1,000 damage. 

Recorder Taryn Turner told Jefferson: “This was quite clearly a determined and heartless search. You intended to take items, no doubt to sell. They were of high sentimental value, I am sure, to (the householder).

“You were sitting comatose, possibly as a consequence of ingesting alcohol and prescription drugs you were taking, apparently for your health conditions.

“I have no doubt this will have had a devastating and traumatic effect on the woman who lives in the house and has done so for so many years.”

Defence solicitor advocate Graham Parkin said Jefferson had taken all his day’s medication in one go and drank alcohol.

“It is likely to have affected what he did,” he said.

The judge, after reading psychiatric and psychological reports, told Jefferson: “I have no doubt you knew full well what you were doing that afternoon.”

Jefferson, 28, of Princess Road, Malton, pleaded guilty to burglary. He was jailed for 20 months. He has previous convictions for burgling commercial properties.

Ms Clarke said the householder had left her Malton home on the afternoon of February 3. She was surprised on her return to find her garden gates closed against her and a window in her front door smashed.

After yelling at Jefferson, she ran into the road and flagged down a passer-by who phoned police.

Mr Parkin said of Jefferson: “Although he has no memory (of the burglary) his actions seem to mirror those he would take at his grandmother’s.”

When he got into the house, Jefferson had taken off his trainers, just as he did at his grandmother’s.

Before the raid, he had been helping his grandmother, who lived in the area, to move her furniture and ornaments and he had moved similar ornaments in the burgled house.

He had not actually removed any items from the burgled house and had put a key in the front door to prevent it being opened.

Jefferson had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and displayed traits of autism, but had not been formally diagnosed with the condition, said Mr Parkin.