A BURGLAR who admitted a raid on the home of a former neighbour yesterday (Fri) escaped jail because a court heard he got no further than the wash-house.

Christopher Haithwaite, 29, was spotted by a neighbour coming and going from Jacqueline Johnson's house in the city's Holmefield Road, and after police were alerted they found loot hidden under a nearby bush, York Crown Court was told.

Haithwaite, of Jackson's Court, Westgate, Ripon, admitted the burglary last summer and stealing a tent, tools, strimmer and vacuum cleaner from the house at the opposite side of the road from where he used to live.

Prosecutor John Merali said after a neighbour looked through his curtains at daybreak he spotted Haithwaite walking away with various items from the back of the house.

The police were called and when the accused was confronted in the wash house he said he was just having a look around.

A search revealed the stolen items hidden under a bush and they were all recovered.

Mark McKone, for Haithwaite, said the accused only got as far as the wash house, which he had found unlocked. It did not provide access to the main house and he never intended going any further in."

Recorder William Lowe QC told Haithwaite: "I am not going to send you to prison although you came close. You were found in the wash room with no access to the main house. If you had been in there you would be looking at a sentence in terms of years."

Haithwaite was put on probation for two years.