A BURGLAR caught "red handed" with his head poking through a window has been jailed for 34 months.

A neighbour spotted Daniel Hone with his head and shoulders through the side window of a home in Cricket Road, East Oxford, a court heard.

Prosecutor Stephen Willmer told Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday the neighbour challenged Hone, who eventually fled.

He added: "The defendant on this occasion was caught more or less red handed when a neighbour saw him in the garden of his neighbour's house.

"He took a closer look and discovered the defendant attempting to climb in through a ground floor side window with his head and shoulders inside the property.

"The defendant was challenged by the neighbour who grabbed hold of a bag he was carrying which contained pliers, a screwdriver and bolt croppers."

Hone admitted the burglary when he appeared for a hearing at the same court last month.[mar]

The 25-year-old also admitted handling stolen goods last year, when a Nokia mobile phone and £15 New Look voucher taken from another burglary were found at his home in James Street.

Mr Willmer told the court the items came from a house in Hill Top Road, East Oxford, after a burglary was reported in October.

Darren Samat, defending, said his client had battled drug addiction and was now clean.

He added: "He has demonstrated a degree of remorse.

"This is a young man who has finally woken up and seen he needs to mend his ways."

Recorder Anna Laney said because Hone had two previous burglaries on his record - including previous stealing from the same house in Cricket Road - it meant he had to be given an immediate prison sentence.

Jailing Hone for a total of 34 months she added: "This was a repeat attack on the same address, that is a further aggravating feature.

"The offence of burglary is so serious that nothing less than a custodial sentence can be justified."