Man stole jewellery and electric bike in Norwich raid

Nigel Jones, 44, took the bike which was charging in the garden of a home in Newmarket Road which he had broken into and stole a jewellery box among other items.

Norwich Crown Court heard the burglary was reported to police after the family returned home to find the bike gone and items inside the property left "strewn" all over the place in the afternoon raid.

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Danielle O'Donovan, prosecuting, said police were notified about the electric bike and a man "behaving oddly" after being seen riding around and "taking a wheel off it".

Jones, who was recognised on CCTV, was later arrested wearing the same clothing he had on during the burglary.

Miss O'Donovan said items taken in the burglary, on February 4 this year, included a number of rings as well as a dress watch left to the householder by her late grandmother which was of "huge sentimental value".

Jones, of Crown Lane, Dereham, appeared at court on Thursday having admitted burglary.

Nigel Jones (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)He also asked for three other Norfolk burglaries, committed in January this year, to be taken into consideration.

Before Jones, who has 60 previous convictions for 152 offences - including at least 18 for burglary - was sentenced the court heard a statement from the victim.

She was particularly upset at the theft of jewellery belonging to her grandmother as "it's all I have left of her".

They had moved to Norfolk after being the victims of burglary in London and following this offence had now "spent a fortune" on installing security measures.

In imposing a 29-month sentence Recorder Ruth Brander said "sentimental" items were taken from a "family home" by Jones who had an "extremely troubling record for domestic burglaries" 

John Morgans, mitigating, said it had been a "relapse" by Jones who had "become tempted" after using drugs again for a short period and "funded it by breaking into people's homes".