TWO men from the Selby area have been given suspended jail sentences after they admitted trying to sell more than £1,000 worth of stolen goods.

Michael James Middleton, 23, of Manor Garth, Kellington, and Clifford Ray Bradshaw, 18, both pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, after Middleton was caught on CCTV when he sold the items at the Goole branch of Cash Converters for £230.

The court heard that two Epiphone Les Paul guitars, valued at £550 each, a Nintendo Wii games console and games, worth about £275, were stolen from a property in Millgate, on November 23 last year.

Prosecuting, Helen Wheatley, told the court there was no evidence to suggest the pair had committed the burglary, but Bradshaw, of Scott Road, Selby, had agreed to drive Middleton to Goole to sell the items, despite knowing the items were stolen, and had been paid £60 for his part.

In mitigation, the court was told Middleton had made constructive use of his time in prison since his arrest in November, by gaining two NVQs, and had suffered from depression, while Bradshaw had realised the consequences of his behaviour as he was currently serving a 70-day prison sentence for breach of a community order.

Middleton was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 12 months, with a 12-month supervision order, while Bradshaw was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, with a 12-month supervision order, and both were ordered to undertake a thinking skills programme.