Michael Madden was caught after the victim knocked on his door to ask if he had seen anything suspicious when she discovered the break-in.

Leeds Crown Court heard the victim called police when she saw her belongings inside Madden's flat.

Madden was sent to prison for 31 months after pleading guilty to burgling the property in Harehills.

Michael Madden was jailed for 31 months for burgling his neighbour's home during lockdown.

Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said the victim lives at a house on Darfield Road with her 11-year-old daughter.

They left the property on April 4 in order to look after the victim's mother during lockdown.

Mr Ahmed said: "She returned to the property on April 10 to find that the burglary had occurred.

"Her house was effectively ransacked."

The woman went to Madden's basement flat to ask him if he had information about the incident.

The prosecutor continued: "When she arrived at the flat she saw a coat belonging to her daughter hanging on a coat rail by the front door of his basement flat and she asked him why it was there.

"The defendant began to mumble something at that point.

"Then she discovered that a stack of IKEA drawers belonging to her were on the kitchen table."

Police were called and found Madden in his flat with another man.

Madden, 42, said to officers: "That's my mate. He's just come here today. He did nothing.

"It was all me, it was all me."

Two lap top computers belonging to the victim and her daughter were found under the sink in Madden's flat.

A pair of disposable latex gloves were found in the living room of the burgled house.

Madden was interviewed and told police he was an alcoholic and could not remember anything about the offence.

The court heard he has previous convictions for burglary and robbery dating back to 2004.

Michael Walsh, mitigating, said Madden pleaded guilty to the offence at the earliest opportunity.

He said: "He doesn't suggest that anybody else is to blame."

Jailing Madden, Judge Tom Bayliss QC said: "This wasn't an opportunistic offence.

"You wore gloves and you went equipped."

Burglar ransacked his neighbour's home in Leeds after she went to look after her ill mother during lockdown