A BURGLAR who broke into two homes on the same night has been jailed after he was caught cycling back to one of them to pick up the loot.

Jake Trueman stole valuable power tools from the garage of a stone mason but was unable to take them all home on his bike and left some of them in a hedge.

Police who were attending the burglary in Torquay spotted him and became suspicious when he turned around as soon as he saw them. He was arrested and most of the loot from both raids were found at his home.

Trueman, aged 31, of Torquay, admitted two burglaries and was jailed for two years and five months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him he had no option but to impose the sentence because this is Trueman’s fourth conviction for dwelling house burglaries and he is subject to the minimum term provisions for repeat burglars.

He said the offences had been committed while the householders were asleep on the premises and had left them feeling understandable insecure.

Mr Deni Matthews, prosecuting, said the first break in was at Grosvenor Avenue, Torquay, at about 2 am on June 5 this year, when the occupier heard a noise downstairs which he thought may be his cat.

He went to check, found a window open, and noticed that two games controllers and an iPad had been stolen.

The other raid at Rougemont Avenue was discovered when the owner got up at 6.45 am and found his garage and conservatory doors open and an angle grinder, multitool and food from a freezer was stolen. Other food was ruined because it was left open.

The owner, who works as a stonemason, went outside and was told by a neighbour that the angle grinder had been left in a hedge. Police arrested Trueman when he was seen turning his bike around and cycling away from them.

Mr William Parkhill, defending, said Trueman has long standing issues with drink and drugs which he hopes to address while in prison.