A HARD-WORKING tradesman was physically sick when his van and tools were stolen from outside his home overnight, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Less than 24 hours later, Robert Lodge, who was on licence for a seven-year burglary sentence, was caught red-handed with some of the haul in his car.

Lodge, 30, of Heysham Drive, Tong, Bradford, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 250 hours of unpaid work.

He appeared before the court on a video link to HMP Doncaster after been recalled to prison last month.

Lodge pleaded guilty to dishonestly handling a Sat-Nav and a multimeter stolen from the white Transit van that was recovered by the police after the property had been taken from it.

The court heard that the vehicle was gone at 8am on April 26 after being parked up outside the victim’s home the previous day.

He was so shocked to see it gone that he was physically sick, prosecutor Beverley Wright said.

Soon afterwards, the police stopped Lodge’s VW car in Bradford and seized the stolen goods, valued at £245, from the vehicle.

He had 18 previous convictions for 44 offences, beginning his criminal record when he was 14.

His list of offences included robbery, handling stolen goods and other matters of dishonesty.

In 2015, he was locked up for seven years for burglary.

Lodge’s solicitor advocate, Saf Salam, said his client admitted buying the items stolen from the van from an estate in Bradford.

After his release from prison in March last year, Lodge was complying well with his licence conditions, keeping appointments and committing no further offences until the handling matter.

Judge Jonathan Rose said he had a terrible record, always returning to crime sooner or later.

Thieves would not be so ready to steal if there weren’t handlers like Lodge waiting to take their ill-gotten gains off their hands.

The victim had been sickened when he saw that the van and tools he needed for his employment had been taken.

Judge Rose told Lodge: “The public would think it utterly ridiculous if you were released from custody and not given some form of custodial sentence.”

If the nine months was to be served immediately, Lodge had already been recalled for a month and would spend only an extra three months or so in jail.

The judge warned him that any breach of the suspended sentence order would lead to Lodge being brought back before the court and locked up.