A HOUSEBREAKER who smashed his way into a woman’s home and ransacked it before fleeing with a watch, jewellery and perfume has been jailed for eight months.

Mathew Zdanowicz was confronted outside the address by the house owner’s daughter who demanded the property back but he ran off pursued by two delivery drivers.

When they challenged him, he said: “I’m homeless. I need to eat. I need that bag.”

He dropped some of the stolen property but when the men continued to chase after him he said he had a knife.

The police were quickly on the scene and Zdanowicz, 41, of Cloudsdale Avenue, West Bowling, Bradford, was apprehended and the watch recovered.

He denied the offence and told lies to the police to try to cover his tracks.

Zdanowicz went on to plead guilty to burgling the property on Leeds Road, Bradford, on the afternoon of February 2.

Prosecutor, Adam Walker, said he was on bail at the time for possession with intent to supply Spice on Rawson Road in Bradford city centre on July 20, 2020, and simple possession of small amounts of drugs at his home on April 1, 2021.

Mr Walker said Zdanowicz was seen huddled in a shop doorway with a group of people. When the police approached, he tried to palm something off on a woman standing nearby but officers seized hold of it.

It turned out to be up to £215 worth of the Class B drug Spice that he said he was holding on to for those higher up the supply chain.

Zdanowicz had 21 previous convictions for 43 offences, including 25 for theft-related matters and an old conviction for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

He was today sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on a video link to HMP Leeds where he was remanded in custody.

Rodney Ferm said in mitigation that Zdanowicz had shown that he could keep out of trouble. He had gone off the rails in 2019 after being crime free since 2005.

He had been in custody for 80 days and was no longer dependent on prescription drugs. He had accommodation to go back to, a partner and a support network.

Recorder Patrick Palmer sentenced Zdanowicz to a total of eight months imprisonment. He imposed no separate penalty for the drugs offences or breach of a suspended sentence order for shoplifting and threatening behaviour that was still current during the Spice offence.