A burglar was caught after he was spotted on a shop's CCTV cashing in items he stole.
The owner of a house in Tenterfield Road, Maldon, left their house secure last Wednesday when leaving.
But when they returned at 6pm, they saw the door had been forced open.
Benjamin Nicholls, 25, had broken into the property earlier in the day and stole items from the living room and the bedrooms.
Steve Butler, prosecuting at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court yesterday, said inquiries by police after the burglary found that similar items to those taken were presented in Cash Exchange in Fullbridge.
"The shop has CCTV, which showed Nicholls there, and his details were also recorded by the shop. "On Friday, officers went to his house and arrested him," the court heard.
A search was carried out at Nicholls' house in Ridgeway, Maldon, and 2.4g of cannabis was found. He then told officers that what they were looking for was at Cash Exchange and the rest at his girlfriend's.
Police went to her home and found a beige wallet and a mobile phone taken from the house in Tenterfield Road.
Nicholls admitted burglary and possession of cannabis.
Phillip Witherspoon, mitigating, said it was an unsophisticated low-level burglary.
The court adjourned the case for reports before he is sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on January 19.
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Wednesday, December 7, 2005
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