A SNEAK burglar took handbags from under the noses of two oblivious householders.

Ricky Alan Burdess was high on valium when he crept into properties near his mother’s home in Peterlee, County Durham, early on the evening of Saturday October 6.

Durham Crown Court was told he entered an end terraced house in Pentland Close via the rear conservatory and took a handbag from a kitchen bench.

Christopher Williamson, prosecuting, said it was only later the owner realised it was missing and reported it to police.

As officers headed to her home, they saw an agitated Burdess kicking the rear door at his mother’s house.

He was arrested and found in possession of credit cards belonging to a woman living in nearby Polden Close.

She was contacted and was unaware her bag, left on a kitchen worktop, had also been taken as she watched television in another room.

Burdess, 22, of Pentland Close, denied responsibility, but two days later admitted two counts of burglary when he appeared before magistrates, who committed the case to crown court for sentence.

Mr Williamson told the crown court Burdess’s record of 37 offences includes a burglary for which he served a short custodial sentence earlier this year, while the two recent break-ins put him in breach of a community order for vehicle taking, imposed a month earlier.

Martin Scarborough, mitigating, said: “He has little recollection of these matters as he was under the influence of a substantial number of valium tablets.

“He’s only 22, but with a bit of history. He has issues with alcohol and particularly drugs.

“He tells me he wants to get sorted and accepts can’t be going in and out of prison all his life.”

Jailing him for 16 months, Judge Penny Moreland told Burdess: “You have a bad record for dishonesty as well as breaching court orders.”

He was also ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge, recently introduced for all offences committed since October 1.