A 20-year-old who stole “sentimental” items in two break-ins was given a strong warning during his sentencing.

Jake Knight, of Martin Luther King Close, in Huntingdon, was handed a 15-month sentence that was suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of burglary.

During sentencing, on January 29, Knight was told by Recorder Rona Campbell: “Burglary, when even little in value of the objects that are taken, is no small matter. The insecurity and invasion that people feel is huge and it runs on for far longer than the levels of your stupidity that morning.”

The courts heard that in the early hours of the morning of July 12, Knight went to Little Farthing Close, in St Ives, and broke into a house and a garden shed.

The 20-year-old also broke into a property through a kitchen window where he stole a bottle of beer, a pair of sunglasses and a Nokia mobile phone.

Tim Brown, prosecuting, said: “Outside there was broken glass which had come from the beer bottle that was forensically tested and come back with DNA identification for the defendant.”

Later in the morning, Knight also went to another address and broke into a garden shed where he stole two strimmers.

“The occupant pursued them and the strimmers were dropped and recovered. The occupier was particularly glad to get his strimmers back as he had sentimental regard for one of them.

“There is a connection with the street with which the defendant is connected as family members live in that area. He was on bad terms with somebody that might have lived at those addresses,” added Mr Brown.

The court was told by Melanie Benn, mitigating, that Knight struggles with alcohol and drug problems and “wishes to change”.

This was reflected in sentencing as Knight was given a six-day alcohol treatment requirement and a 20-day rehabilitation requirement, and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

Knight was also placed on a tag for a period of two months and required to pay court costs of around £450.

In her final statement Recorder Campbell said: “I do not want you to come back here again.”