A man has been jailed after he broke into a home while a householder was sleeping and stole a car.

Scott Foran, 38, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at St Albans Crown Court on Thursday, May 9, where he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for burglary, theft of a car and two counts of fraud.

The court heard that on Thursday, December 13, 2018, Foran gained access to a home in St Francis Close, Potters Bar, between 1.30am and 3.30am.

When the victim woke up in the morning, he discovered that clothing, power tools, a watch, and a bag containing a wallet and bank cards had been stolen.

The victim then discovered that his bank cards had been used fraudulently in Towcester, Northamptonshire and Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

A blue Toyota Yaris had also been taken during the burglary - The victim called police and officers began investigating.

Three days later, on Sunday, December 16, the stolen vehicle was found damaged in Northamptonshire.

Forensic work linked Foran to the victim’s home and CCTV enquiries established that he had used the stolen bank cards.

On Monday, January 14, 2019, Foran was arrested in Northamptonshire.

Detective Constable Barnaby Goding, from the Hertsmere Local Crime Unit, said: “Understandably, the victim was left shaken and unnerved at the thought of someone having broken in to his home as he slept.

“I am glad that Foran has been brought to justice and I hope that he spends his time behind bars reflecting on the fear and misery he caused. We always do all we can to track down those responsible for burglary and I hope that this sentence reassures the local community of that.”