Thief takes pictures of himself on stolen phone then hides it in police car

A court heard that an Apple iphone, various items of jewellery, Christmas gifts, clothing and a quantity of cash was stolen from Jane Sykes, at the house she shared with Micky Malster on Boxing Day last year.

Last Christmas Day Mr Malster invited Oliver Clancy, 20, into his home for a drink,.Jayne Wilson, prosecuting, told Bridlington magistrates.

She said Mr Malster showed Clancy out at around 11.30pm, closing the door behind him but he was not sure if he had locked the door.

He had fallen asleep on the sofa in the early hours of Boxing Day before it was discovered that the door was open and he saw Clancy was "pretending to be asleep on the settee".

It was then discovered that various items including Christmas gifts, clothing, jewellery and an iphone had been taken.

"Mr Clancy pretended to remain asleep but eventually walked outside and went to stand by a vehicle on the opposite side of the street.

"Some property was found outside the house and returned inside and the matter

was reported to the police," Mrs Wilson said.

A police officer later spotted Clancy walking through Nafferton, East Yorkshire, and quizzed him about the incident

Mrs Wilson said: "He said he had no knowledge of the items removed from his friend's house, or of how items got outside the house and said he left the house in a hurry because he felt threatened by the occupants.

Clancy, of Nafferton, was released at that time while police enquiries continued.

Then on February 27 of this year an officer was cleaning the back seat of a police car and found an Apple iphone, which revealed a series of images of Clancy which he had taken of himself on December 26 last year.

Mrs Wilson said that although several items were recovered, a Nokia mobile phone and items of jewellery worth a combined total of 850 were never found.

Caroline Wyatt, defending, said: "Mr Clancy said he was never asked to leave the premises but accepts items were taken while he was a guest in that house."

Miss Wyatt said he was claiming benefits but was logging for his grandfather on a full-time basis in return for board and lodgings.

For the offence of theft, Clancy was given a 12-month community order, including 80 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay 425 pounds of compensation to partly cover the cost of the stolen items that have never been recovered.