A FATHER-of-four who stole money meant for charity from one of the two houses he burgled has been jailed for 18 months.

James Connors and a 14-year-old accomplice had gone out stealing while his wife and brother waited nearby in a motor home.

And a judge was stunned when a probation officer told him the 32-year-old, who has a long history of crime, was quite easily led by the teenager.

Chris Jervis, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the raids took place on October 26 last year.

Just after 7pm a resident in Swallowfield Avenue, Walcot, spotted a figure inside a neighbour's house and called the police.

When officers arrived they spotted two intruders who fled.

Officers found the teenager who had a balaclava and gloves on him as well as a money bag containing £55 with a post it note on it.

In the street they had noticed a VW Caravanette parked nearby and when they returned it had gone.

The vehicle was stopped soon after and inside was Connors, his wife and brother, and he was arrested for his part in the raid.

Mr Jervis said: “When the owner of the house in Swallow-field Avenue returned he found that access had been gained by rear patio doors and the bedroom had been ransacked.”

He said the only thing that appeared to have been taken was a £600 Gucci watch.

A second house in Drove Road had also been broken into and the £55 found on the boy, which was left with a note on it for charity, was taken.

Connors, of Ascott under Wychwood, in the Cotswolds, admitted two counts of burglary.

The court heard he had two previous convictions for house breaking among his list of offences.

A probation officer told the court he said he had not known the break ins would take place as he had just gone to collect some scrap metal.

When she said: “In this he was quite easily led,” she retracted it when the judge pointed out the age of his accomplice.

Chris Smyth, defending, said his client had four children aged eight, seven, one and four months and was the main breadwinner for the family.

He urged the judge to impose a suspended sentence saying a lot of his earlier offending had been down to drugs, which he had stopped using when he married.

Judge Peter Blair QC imposed an 18-month sentence but said he would probably only have to serve about four months inside as he had been on a curfew for almost a year.

The teenager was dealt with in the youth court for one burglary.