A mother's detective work has put a York house burglar behind bars for eight months.

Andrew John Pond, 20, ransacked a family home in Corlett Court, Foxwood, while its occupants, a woman and her three children, were out, Simon Hickey, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

He got away with £1,500 in electric items, cash and computer equipment.

Three days later, on her own initiative, the mother gave a list of the stolen items to Acomb Traders in Front Street, Acomb.

The shopkeeper immediately recognised some of the items - because he had bought them the day before from Pond, who had signed a form in his own name, giving his own address.

When police arrested Pond at home in his bed, he told them: "I didn't do the burglary. I will go blue in the face before I admit to that."

But when interviewed at a police station, he confessed to his crimes.

Pond, of Foxwood Lane, Foxwood, pleaded guilty to burglary on December 9, deceiving the shopkeeper, failure to answer police bail and failure to attend York Crown Court for sentence.

Judge Paul Hoffman jailed him for eight months, including re-sentencing for an assault causing actual bodily harm for which he was on bail at the time of the burglary.

Magistrates had told him to do 100 hours' community service for that and he had twice refused to do it.

Diane Campbell, mitigating, said Pond only accepted taking a hi-fi system, a play station and some compact discs and play station games.

He had had a "tragic history" which included his father subjecting him to "significant abuse".

He had had difficulties in jail when remanded in custody for eight weeks after being arrested on a bench warrant.

Updated: 10:42 Saturday, June 23, 2001