Yorkshire burglar 'on mad one' stole vacuum from dead man's house then tried posting it through girlfriend's letterbox

Jeffrey Mitchell told police he was on a “mad one” at the time he committed the offence after drinking eight cans, half a bottle of vodka and smoking the class B drug.

-> Yorkshire school closes after outbreak of sickness bugLeeds Crown Court heard Mitchell, 31, smashed a window to get into the house on Tinshill Avenue, Cookridge, on August 3 this year.

Jessica Lister, prosecuting, said the man who had lived at the property had died in May.

Mitchell stole two vacuums, a TV and a DVD player from the house.

He then took them to his partner’s home across the road and said: “I’ve just nicked them from down there.”

Miss Lister said Mitchell’s partner, who had locked him out due to his drunken and aggressive behaviour, heard him passing items through their letterbox.

Mitchell, who had removed his shirt as it was covered in blood, told his partner: “Take these, don’t drop them.”

The court heard the deceased’s father was very upset by the incident and did not understand why someone would do this so close to his son’s death.

Mitchell, who has eight previous convictions for 12 offences, pleaded guilty to burglary.

-> Yorkshire Kitty Cafe is hiring - and it sounds like a cat lover's dream jobProbation officer Malcolm Brown said Mitchell, who has been an alcoholic since he was a teenager and spends all his benefits money on alcohol, could not remember anything about the incident.

Mitchell was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. London to Harrogate train connection will be a ‘game changer” says Leeds MP Judge Christopher Batty said:

“What you did was very mean.

“It has upset his dad.

“Losing a son is a terrible thing and to see the property he left to help others is very upsetting.

“You need help - help with alcohol and help with making appropriate decisions.”

The judge also ordered him to complete an alcohol treatment requirement and a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

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