A third strike house burglar caught prowling round a family home by a boy of 15 has been jailed for three years and four months.

The teenager heard a bang while he was watching television and saw Lee Tatum in the kitchen, Bradford Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

The boy had returned home from his grandparents’ address nearby after the burglar alarm at the address went off, the court was told.

Tatum, 41, fled empty-handed after kicking his way into the Bradford property at around 8pm on November 21 last year.

He was captured on CCTV trying the door handles at the back and front of the property before getting in. He was also seen falling into the garden shed, breaking down the door.

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At one stage, he was joined by a male accomplice but he entered the house on his own.

The father of four, of Brooksbank Avenue, Scholemoor, Bradford, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal.

The court heard he had been recalled to prison following his release from a jail after serving a sentence for an earlier house burglary.

Tatum had 27 convictions for 45 offences, many of them for dishonesty.

His barrister, Ken Green, said Tatum was resigned to a lengthy custodial sentence.

He had pleaded guilty ahead of his trial on May 28, sparing the youth from having to give evidence in court.

Tatum was dependant on Diazepam after suffering a badly fractured leg and he had mixed the tablets with alcohol on the day of the burglary.

“It was the height of stupidity and incompetence,” Mr Green said.

Tatum had not gone to the house equipped for burglary and he had not stolen anything.

Mr Green said Tatum felt he had let his family down and he was determined this would be his last prison sentence.

He had been on remand for three and a half months.

Jailing Tatum, Judge David Hatton QC said: “You have an extensive and unenviable record for dishonesty.”