A burglar who stole from a house he was helping renovate has been sentenced to a suspended prison term.
Aaron Casey, 25, of Ellenby Close, Upper Edmonton, pleaded guilty to burglary on June 11, according to a Met Police spokesman.
He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended, at the Old Bailey on July 13.
The owners of a house undergoing renovation in Esmond Road, Kilburn, noticed muddy footprints in their bedroom on November 24 2014, an area of the property that wasn't being worked on, police said.
Casey was confronted by a fellow worker about his reasoning for going into the bedroom. He said he thought he heard a delivery arrive and wanted to look out the window to see, police added.
After the workers left the house that evening, the owners discovered that three watches and a MacBook computer were missing from a wardrobe in the bedroom.
Police arrested Casey at his home on December 5, where he was found trying to hide from police in a bathroom cupboard. None of the stolen objects were found, police said.
During interview, Casey told police he was trying to clear up a leak with towels taken from the bedroom of the property in Kilburn, something that was quickly disproved.
At court, before trial, Casey changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.
Investigating officer Detective Constable John Muir said: "When workers are invited into your home, the last thing you would expect is for those people you are paying to steal from you.
"This was a despicable crime for which Casey has received a custodial sentence, albeit suspended."
