A BURGLAR caught red-handed on a baby monitor whilst ransacking a family home in Old Marston has been jailed.

Oxford Crown Court heard how a family holidaying in Australia were alerted via text to their home being broken into in the early hours of February 13 through a system of baby video monitors.

The victims noticed an arm through the monitor and alerted police, who were then able to catch Coran Bateman red-handed at the home in Mill Lane at about 3.15am.

Police found the 31-year-old, of no fixed abode, hiding in the hallway with a stash of jewellery, plus a number of bags packed with the family’s electronics.

The stolen jewellery included a number of family heirlooms, of which one opal necklace worth more than £10,000 has still not been found.

At his sentencing on Tuesday the court heard a victim statement in which the house was described as clearly a home to young children.

Three children and two adults lived there.

In the statement the father said: “What upsets me is the thought of someone going through my children’s bedrooms.”

“It concerns me that he could have been keeping watch of our family and I feel my role is to protect my family – my wife and children – so I have significant concern had he broken in when I was not there [and the rest of the family were]."

Oxford Crown Court heard how the monitoring system flagged a disturbance two days before.

The victim continued: “I am upset because I believe the offender gained access and I wasn’t properly paying attention to my phone as it was my son’s birthday.”

Bateman’s defence said he came across the home after it had already been broken into.

He admitted both charges and the court was told he was ‘full of shame and remorse’.

Judge Nigel Daly jailed Bateman for 17 months – 16 months for burglary and one month for breaching a conditional discharge.