A Slovakian man who claimed he mistook a funeral parlour for a mobile phone shop has been sentenced to a 12 month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work and a six month Drug Rehabilitation Requirement.

Tibor Horvath, 22, was convicted of burglary at Bradford Crown Court on Thursday. He was kept in the cells overnight and sentenced yesterday.

Horvath, of Spencer Road, Scholemoor, Bradford, was caught burgling a flat adjoining Ummah Funeral Service on Beckside Road, Lidget Green, Bradford, on April 30.

He insisted to police and the jury that he thought it was a mobile phone shop.

The Crown’s barrister, Nadim Bashir, said Horvath told “a cock and bull story” to get out of the burglary charge.

Mr Bashir showed the jury photos of the premises, with grave stones on display outside and a large sign saying Funeral Service. Mr Bashir said that was “a dead giveaway” about the business.