BURGLARS grabbed a “small window of opportunity” to raid a detached house while an occupant was briefly away from home, a court heard.

A mother-of-three returned to the property, in Nevilles Cross, Durham, after dropping her son off at a judo class, to discover intruders had entered by smashing a rear patio window, on the afternoon of Wednesday January 28.

Durham Crown Court heard they went through all downstairs rooms and the main upstairs bedroom, taking more than £4,000 worth of property, including a silver necklace of great sentimental value to the householder.

The fearful woman decided not to remain in the house, in case the burglars were still present.

Ian West, prosecuting, said she reported it to police and later an off-duty officer reported seeing a “familiar” figure, 34-year-old Ross Jenkins, and another, unknown man, walking along a road carrying bags full of goods, “raising suspicions.”

He reported it to the control room and shortly afterwards officers went to Jenkins’ home address, in High Street South, in nearby Langley Moor, arrested him and recovered property stolen from the burgled house plus items taken from a nearby address days earlier.

Further inquiries led them to the home of 32-year-old Richard Thompson, in Howlish View, Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, from where more stolen property was recovered.

But the court heard a number of items, including the cherished necklace, have not been recovered.

Both defendants admitted burglary, while Jenkins also admitted handling stolen goods and possession of an offensive weapon, a knuckleduster, found on him when he was arrested.

Joe Hedworth, for Thompson, said he was in the midst of “an entrenched heroin addiction” at the time of the offence.

Both Thompson and the unrepresented Jenkins apologised to the victim, who was in court.

She read a statement outlining the impact of the offence on her family, revealing it has left her fearful and hyper-security conscious in her own home.

Jenkins was jailed for a total of three years and eight months, while Thompson received a sentence of two years and eight months.