A COUPLE who pawned expensive and sentimental jewellery just hours after it was stolen during a house burglary have been spared prison.

Recovering drug addict Gareth Matthews, 31, and his girlfriend Rebecca Dormer, 21, were struggling for money in the run-up to Christmas.

Matthews said he bought the gems – worth £3,000 – for just £40 from a man he refused to name, Teesside Crown Court was told today.

Later the same day, the pair went to a pawnbrokers in Redcar, east Cleveland, and got £270 for the stolen items, said prosecutor Jackie Edwards.

Robin Turton, for Matthews, said he was battling to beat his long-standing heroin habit and his serious offending had tailed off in recent years.

He was given a community order four months before the latest offence and had been doing well in keeping appointments and with drug tests.

The judge, Recorder Richard Mansell, QC, gave Matthews a 12-month suspended jail sentence with 100 hours of unpaid work and supervision.

Dormer was given a 12-month community order with supervision after the judge said she had been used by her partner to help pawn the items.

Matthews, of High Street, Skelton, east Cleveland, and Dormer, of Sowerby House, Ruswarp, Whitby, both admitted handling stolen goods.

The court heard that jewellery worth a further £7,000 as well as other belongings was taken in the raid in High Street, Skelton on December 2.

After their arrest, Dormer told police they spent the money on bills and alcohol because they were having financial struggles.

Mr Recorder Mansell told her: “You describe yourself in your pre-sentence report with a probation officer as usually quite a sensible person.

“I am quite convinced that the relationship with your co-accused has led you to commit what is a very serious offence here.”