Burglar raided his friends' Aylestone home when he knew they were shopping in Leicester

A burglar who targeted the home of friends when he knew they were out shopping has been jailed for two years.

The victims returned home to find a light on in their flat and Robert Tobolski helping himself to their possessions.

He was arrested after a skirmish with the couple in the back yard of their home, in Montrose Road, Aylestone, Leicester.

Leicester Crown Court was told that the 28-year-old had been introduced to the couple three weeks earlier and they had met him on about seven occasions.

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On the day of the break-in – November 10 – Tobolsk met the pair in Leicester city centre.

He asked for a lift to Evington Road but they refused so they could carry on with their shopping and he left.

The couple returned home at 6.45pm to find Tobolski in their home, near a window, with his hood up.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said: "His hood fell down and they realised it was him."

Outside, he tried to push the male victim to get away, causing him to fall over.

The defendant shouted threats that he would harm them and destroy their car, the court heard.

The victim's partner also tried to stop him and ended up chasing him and grabbing a rucksack off his back, containing some property from their home.

Miss Rose said: "Inside, they found their belongings had been turned over and there was a television and DVD player also missing, along with a necklace."

The police detained Tobolski at 7.20pm and recovered the necklace and two remote controls.

Tobolski initially lied, claiming he had called to see the couple and realised their flat had been burgled and climbed in to look for the intruder.

However, he later pleaded guilty to committing the burglary.

He asked for four other Leicester break-ins, in Narborough Road and Western Road, between September and October, to be taken into consideration.

The court heard that Tobolski, who had no previous convictions recorded in the UK, was of no fixed address and had been living rough. David Charman, mitigating, said: "He very much regrets his behaviour and would like to apologise to the victims.

"He lost his job and took those items in order to live.

"He'd drunk half a bottle of whisky."

Judge Simon Hammond said: "He committed the burglary no doubt knowing they were in town.

"For many burglary victims their homes are never the same again."