A 28 year old Gloucester man was jailed for 40 months, for burgling a home in Maisemore whilst the family were asleep upstairs.

Jordan White, of no fixed abode, was captured on the house's CCTV system carrying a knife he had taken from the kitchen during the raid in November, Gloucester crown court was told.

White admitted burglary of the house in Maisemore on 11th November.

Prosecutor Janine Wood said White was accompanied by two other men during the night time raid.

One of the alleged accomplices, Ashley Lodge, 31, of Sandalwood Drive, Gloucester pleaded not guilty to burglary and will stand trial on 25th April next year.

The third alleged burglar has yet to be apprehended.

During the burglary, White stole a handbag, computer devices, hairdressing equipment, the kitchen knife he was seen carrying and two sets of car keys, said the prosecutor.

The car keys related to the householder's Audi and BMW, which White also admitted stealing.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis which was found on him when he was arrested from an address in Gloucester, where he was hiding in the airing cupboard, Mrs Wood said.

A final charge of taking a vehicle without permission related to a Peugeot car that he used to drive him and the two other men to the address in Maisemore.

He was linked to that car by footage captured at a service station, the prosecutor said.

Mrs Wood told Judge Ian Lawrie QC that the raid started around 4am, with White and his two accomplices quite determined, returning to the property several times.

The CCTV showed him trying door handles at the rear of the property before he went to the side of the house.

He then looked straight up at the CCTV camera, but this did not deter him.

"He walked back to the rear with another male, shortly joined by another male in the garden," Mrs Wood said.

He entered the house with the family asleep upstairs and is then seen walking away with a 'large kitchen knife' he had taken from the property.

The keys for the cars on the driveway were taken, and White with another male is seen getting into the Audi TT and stealing it.

Five minutes later he returns for the BMW, but is unsuccessful at taking it, the prosecutor said.

But White was not to be thwarted and he returned to the address again, an hour and ten minutes later, and is this time successful in stealing the BMW.

If that was not enough, five minutes later he returned yet again to the rear of the property, 'carrying something in his right hand'.

All the while 'the family were upstairs asleep unaware of what was happening'.

White was identified by police from the CCTV footage and arrested three days later from 'an address he is associated with' hiding in the airing cupboard.

Mrs Wood said together the vehicles were valued at £58,350, but were recovered.

The BMW was found on 12th November on Stonechat Avenue, Gloucester, with the Audi recovered on 16th November.

Mrs Wood read a statement from the victims about how the crime had affected them.

The loss of hairdressing equipment had made work difficult, and the loss of personal items such as photos was distressing.

Specifically referring to the knife taken from the block the victim said: "The whole experience has scared me. I no longer want to live in my own home.

"I am on edge at every slight noise I hear."

Mrs Wood said White had 16 previous convictions for 26 offences, and due to having two previous dwelling burglaries on his criminal record, was now subject to a minimum three year sentence.

His record was littered with serious offences such as robbery, assault causing serious injury and drug offences, the court heard.

Sarah Jenkins, representing White, said her client accepted it was a serious offence.

"He found himself homeless for the first time," the lawyer told the judge. "His benefits had been stopped.

"Then someone came from his past looking to reclaim a debt. Various unpleasantries were exchanged.

"He was looking for a way to pay it," she said.

The judge said that was an 'explanation not mitigation'.

Mrs Jenkins argued that the other burglaries on White's record were not recent and 'he does not habitually carry out this behaviour.

"He has made significant efforts in custody to get on a course in custody," she said. "He is looking to normalise things. Gain some qualifications."

Imposing a 40 month jail term, the judge said: "The true mitigation is the plea of guilty, indicated at a relatively early stage.

"This is a serious burglary. The owners were at home and it was committed at night.

"The items stolen were of considerable sentimental and real value.

"You were part of a group," the judge said.

He added the householder's statement 'brings home profoundly the impact it has on the victims'.

"You need to start making amends for your life," the judge concluded.