THE driver in a gang of house breakers was rumbled when his stepfather found some of the haul in his car boot.

Adrian Limb, 18, owned up when challenged by the stepfather who had read of the stolen compact disc and video tape collection in the press, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Limb and his teenage accomplices were jailed after a judge told them they were all old enough to know house burglary was a serious matter.

Judge Raymond Bennett went on: "People whose houses are burgled expect people who are caught doing it to go to custody and so does the general public."

Limb, of Burnley Road, Loveclough; Adam Kitchen, 19, of Guy Street, Padiham, and David Crook, 18, of Oat Street, Padiham, all admitted burgling the house on Cotton Street, Padiham, at Christmas.

Limb and Crook were each detained for 12 months. Kitchen, who also admitted a second burglary, six counts of theft and one of forgery, received an 18-month sentence. None had been to custody before.

Timothy Brennand, prosecuting, said the trio broke into the house, taking property to the tune of £6,580. The victim, who had a large collection of CDs and videos, had scheduled all the details on his computer before he left for a Christmas holiday with relations. Anthony Cross, for Limb, said he came from a home which knew right from wrong and his stepfather had reported him to police. Limb was the driver for the burglary and accepted he would be going to custody.

The trouble the offence had caused at home had now subsided but on his release, Limb would be subject to constraints at home. His family would have no truck with his behaviour and would be the first to crack down on him if he misbehaved.

For Kitchen, John Woodward, said the defendant had found a good job on leaving school but had become addicted to heroin. That was his downfall.

Kitchen had gone voluntarily to a rehabilitation unit but slipped back into taking heroin. He apologised to his victims.

Dennis Watson, representing Crook, said the defendant was a heroin addict at the time of the offence. He reached a stage where he was spending £10 a day. Crook was the burglary "look out".

The court proceedings had had a marked effect on Crook, who had been drug-free for two months. He was on a bricklaying course before the sentence.

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