A BURGLAR who sold stolen jewellery to a pawnbroker has been jailed for more than two years.

Kharn Harding, 32, of St Paul’s Close, Strood, was captured on CCTV, at H & T Pawnbrokers in Gillingham, with a selection of gold bracelets, pendants and chains.

The jewellery was part of a much larger haul, worth £7,000, stolen in a burglary the previous day.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that drug addict Harding was paid £295 for the pieces he pawned and, as well as being caught on camera, he gave his own name.

Harding admitted handling stolen goods and obtaining property by deception, the cash from H & T Pawnbrokers, on October 11, last year.

He also admitted burglary at a house in Station Road, Borough Green, on October 31.

The court heard that he and another man, Robert Thompson, 31, of High Street, Chatham, were caught red-handed as they left the house with a carrier bag full of cash.

The two had been spotted going into the house by a passing police officer. They were arrested and all the money was recovered.

At the time of the offences, Harding was also subject to a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for another burglary.

Jailing him for a total of two years and four months Judge Philip Statman said: “You are no stranger to the courts and you are no stranger to offences of burglary.

“I am also mindful of the fact that you are a drug addict and, sadly, until you are able to remain drug-free you will continue to commit crime.”

Katie Fox, defending, said the father-of-two had managed to kick his heroin habit for three years after being made subject to a drug treatment and testing order in 2002.

However, the break-up with his partner led him to drugs again. Miss Fox said: “It was to feed this addiction that he started committing these offences.”

Thompson admitted burglary at the Borough Green house. The court heard he has spent much of the past 10 years behind bars for offences including burglary.

Sentence was adjourned for reports and consideration of a drug treatment and testing order. Thompson was remanded in custody until March 26.