A SERIAL Oldbury burglar raided the home of a single mother while waiting to be sentenced for breaking into another property.

Andrew Harley broke into the house in Bearwood and loaded up £1,000 worth of goods into two bags before he was disturbed.

The woman’s father called by chance at the property in Lightwoods Road, just as Harley was about to take the TV and he fled empty handed Wolverhampton Crown Court was told the 24-year-old thief was living at a bail address across the road at the time and his fingerprints were found on the items he had tried to steal.

Harley, of no fixed address, admitted burglary and told police he planned to sell the haul to buy cannabis.

Jailing him for three years and four months, Judge Michael Dudley told him he had an “appalling” record, with 66 convictions, eight for burglary.