A night-time burglar who ransacked a Bradford balloon shop to raid property worth £5,000 has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Judge Andrew Hatton said he had “little option” but to suspend the jail term because he was constrained by the Sentencing Council Guidelines.

Steven Stilgoe, 23, of Little Horton Lane, Bradford, was part of a three-strong gang that ransacked and raided We Love Balloons on High Street, Wibsey, overnight between June 9 and 10 last year.

He pleaded guilty to burgling £5,000 of property and stock, including the £500 CCTV monitor and hardrive, assorted balloons, cards, candles and novelty bears. The raiders also took a Marie Curie charity box containing coins from customers.

Prosecutor Lauren Hebditch told Bradford Crown Court today that the burglars broke into the shop by smashing the only window not protected by shutters or a grille.

Two of them went into the premises to hand out stolen goods to a third waiting outside. They made off but returned at 2am to take more items.

A forensic examination revealed Stilgoe’s prints on glass where the burglars broke in.

He had a previous conviction for house burglary and another for battery, the court was told.

His solicitor advocate, Ashok Khullar, said Stilgoe worked as builder’s labourer and bricklayer and was able to pay significant compensation to the shop.

He wanted to apologise to the owner of the business.

Stilgoe helped to care for his seriously ill stepmother, assisting her on a day-to-day basis.

He had no history of poor compliance with court orders and he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Judge Hatton told Stilgoe that on June 10 last year, the Prime Minister said: “This has been the most challenging period on the high street in our history.

“What an even greater toll you inflicted on the owner of the We Love Balloons shop on High Street, Wibsey. You broke in and pretty much cleaned it out.”

It was a gang offence, committed at night while Stilgoe was in drink.

But because he was in work, caring for a sick relative and had no history of non-compliance with court orders, Judge Hatton said he had little option but to suspend the sentence to comply with the Sentencing Council Guidelines for this type of commercial burglary.

He said it was unfortunate that no victim impact statement was produced for the court.

Stilgoe was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a four-month electronically monitored curfew order and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Hatton imposed up to 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days and ordered him to pay the shop owner £1,500 compensation at £200 a month.

The owner of the business spoke of his devastation after the burglary.

Darren Grayshon said he was heartbroken when he discovered the raid which came as the shop prepared to re-open amid the easing of lockdown restrictions.

He said at the time: “We are devastated; it hurts, it really, really hurts. It’s been a massive challenge during lockdown. To find that someone does that to us the week before we are due to re-open, we’ve been really quite down about it. Life goes on and we’ve got to pick ourselves up.”

Mr Grayshon was heartened by the community response, with offers of help flying in after details of the break-in were shared on Facebook.

He said: “The local community has been absolutely astonishing. The offers we’ve had have been heart-warming. We’ll get there and we’ll pull through.”