A NEWPORT teen who stole more than £1,000 in goods from an elderly couple’s home as they slept was given a 12-month detention order after his mother turned him in to the police.

Newport Crown Court heard how 19-year-old Kallum Jeavons entered an address in the Llanmartin area of Newport in the early hours of April 2 this year after the back door had been left unlocked.

Jeavons, of Cardiff Road, stole property worth a total of £1016.10 while the man was asleep in a chair downstairs. His elderly wife was asleep upstairs at the time.

Jeavons, who claimed another man had entered the house with him, took a laptop computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, DVDs worth around £400, a satellite navigation system and food from the house.

Among the items stolen was a Tesco Clubcard belonging to one of the victims, which Jeavons’ mother returned to a nearby police station. Her son was arrested several hours later. The vast majority of the stolen items were not recovered.

Jeavons had pleaded guilty to one count of dwelling burglary at a preliminary hearing on May 8.

In mitigation, Stephen Thomas said: “The defendant had no idea someone was asleep downstairs and he had no intention to scare anyone.

“This house wasn’t specifically targeted due to the vulnerability of the occupants. The defendant has family problems and no guidance, which has led him astray.”

But Judge John Jenkins QC said: “The female victim impact statement states that she has suffered a great deal of trauma and now has a feeling of insecurity – the house is no longer the same. I agree with her.

“These were not wealthy people and they had lived there for 28 years and played a major part in the community. The actions of your mother were commendable.

“That said, you are remorseful, and in sentencing you I have taken into account your age and the pre-sentence report provided by probation.”

He was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders’ institution and told to pay a £100 victim surcharge.