A NIGHT-TIME house burglar caught on camera shortly afterwards using bank cards stolen in the raid has been jailed for 21 months.

Dominic Henderson, 22, was part of a criminal gang that broke into a property in Perseverance Street, Wyke, overnight between October 4 and 5 last year.

They drove off in the householder’s Vauxhall Mokka after stealing the vehicle keys, along with cash, a wallet, a laptop computer, bank cards and a driving licence, Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday.

Henderson, of Mayfield Rise, Wyke, pleaded guilty to burglary, theft of the car and two offences of fraudulently using the stolen bank cards.

Prosecutor Anthony Moore said the couple who lived at the house went to bed at 10.30pm leaving their home and car secure.

Overnight, a window pane was removed to gain entry to the property.

Mr Moore said that scissors left at the scene showed that the burglary team had come equipped.

The householder did not know the raiders had struck until the following morning.

In the early hours, Henderson was caught on camera at local convenience stores using the swipe method of paying for goods with the stolen cards.

He was also seen on CCTV in the stolen car. The vehicle was then used by others, Mr Moore said, before being abandoned later in the day with the keys in it.

Henderson had since served a 12 month prison sentence for attempting to burgle a house in Hudson View, Wyke, by throwing a brick through the window. He made off when the householder was disturbed by the noise.

Mr Moore said Henderson was locked up in February for that offence, committed on October 19 last year, and had since served the sentence. He was then held in custody on remand for the second burglary offence.

Ashok Khullar, solicitor advocate for Henderson, handed in letters from the defendant and his grandfather.

Mr Khullar said that Henderson did not go into the house but admitted being part of a joint enterprise.

Henderson had autism and was very easily led, the court was told.

His personal circumstances had contributed to his offending, with his father being a convicted third strike house burglar.

Mr Khullar said there was another side to Henderson.

“He can be kind, compassionate and caring and he presents as courteous and quietly spoken,” Mr Khullar told the court.

He urged Judge David Hatton QC to keep the prison sentence as short as possible.

The judge said it was a Category One house burglary, committed at night, in a group, while the householder was at home.

He conceded: “You are a young man who has had a difficult upbringing.”

Judge Hatton imposed a 21 month prison term for all the offences.