A TEENAGER who befriended a schoolboy stole his key and raided his home while his parents were away.

Paul Ashworth, 19, who has five previous convictions for burglary, was joined by Paul McNamara, 22, who had never burgled a house before - and both are now behind bars.

Ashworth, of Talbot Street, was sent to a young offenders' institution for 15 months and McNamara, of Avon Court, both Burnley, received nine months in prison. Both admitted burglary.

Sentencing them, Assistant Recorder Theresa Pepper said what they had done was "very mean."

Roger Baldwin, prosecuting, said Ashworth visited the boy while his parents were away and the next day he noticed his key was missing. Three days later, Ashworth called as the schoolboy was going out.

When the parents returned from holiday early next day, they could not open the door as there was a key on the inside. They later noticed property was missing. Some of the stolen goods were sold to a man for £30, but recovered. Paul Usher, for Ashworth, said the defendant was unable to give any adequate response when asked why he had committed the offence. He had previous convictions for burglary, but none of them houses. He had no explanation, other than the key was there. Ashworth, who had worked in the past, had very little understanding of the distress caused to victims.

Robert Crawford, defending McNamara, said he was not a burglar and went along with the offence out of some loyalty to his friend.

He had "nothing going for him at all" in his family background and if he was deprived of his liberty, his mother would in turn be deprived of his help.

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