A HAPLESS burglar dropped his mobile phone while making his getaway from a home which he stole from.

John Humphries, 29, of Clayton Road, Ramsey has been jailed for 12 months after he was identified through the Facebook account on his phone which was found in the victim’s garden.

It happened in Ingestre Street, Harwich, at about 10.45am on Sunday, November 5, when the victim heard a knock on her front door.

After not answering, she heard a noise on her conservatory roof and then from an upstairs bedroom.

She then heard another noise on her conservatory roof and saw a man run down her garden and jump over a gate.

When her husband arrived home a few minutes later he looked around the garden and found a black Samsung mobile phone.

The phone was unlocked and opened onto the Facebook page of John Humphries.

The victim later told police that, over the course of a number of months, a number of items of jewellery had gone missing from her home.

During a search of Humphries’ house a number of items belonging to the victim were found and it also came to light that he had tried to sell items to another person.

Humphries was arrested on November 8 on suspicion of burglary and was charged with burglary and handling stolen goods.

He admitted both offences at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, December 7, and was jailed for a total of 12 months – 12 months for burglary and four months for handling stolen goods with the sentences to run concurrently.

Investigating officer detective constable Bernadette White said: “This was a brazen burglary in broad daylight in a residential area.

“John Humphries has little regard for other people’s property and I’m glad we’ve been able to take him off the streets.

“Due to the evidence against him he had little choice other than to admit his offences and I hope he’ll use his time in prison to reflect.”