Barnsley burglar jailed for ransacking home while family slept

Jake Spendlove, aged 25 and of no fixed abode, was sentenced to two years behind bars at a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court after pleading guilty to burglary.

Spendlove broke into a property on Castle Street and stole a laptop, mobile phones, wallets, cash and bankcards.

Inspector Rebecca Richardson, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “The family had gone up to bed, locking all the doors in the property.

"Spendlove managed to gain access through a window that had been left slightly ajar. Once inside he ransacked the house, taking around £1,000 worth of valuables as well as a large amount of foreign currency.”

Spendlove was also sentenced for theft from a vehicle after breaking into a car on Caxton Street in Barnsley earlier in the same month.

Insp Richardson added: “Burglary is such an intrusive crime and can have a bigger impact than people think.

“I am satisfied with the sentence Spendlove has received and hope the public are reassured that we are tracing people carrying out offences and bringing them before the courts.”