A window cleaner who burgled a house in Laddingford has been jailed for two years 10 months.

Josh Allen, 21, of Loose Road, Maidstone, was door-knocking in the Laddingford area in August, looking for window cleaning work. A homeowner in Cleavesland didn’t answer her door when she heard it knock, but a short time later found Allen in her kitchen. Having been disturbed, he made off with only a box of painkillers but his fingerprints were found on a box of a Smart phone that was in the house.

Having pleaded not guilty, Allen was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court and sentenced yesterday (Wednesday).

DC Steve Hobbs from Kent Police said: “The fear caused to people who find a burglar in their home should never be underestimated. We pursue burglary suspects relentlessly, and the courts have supported our efforts with a significant sentence. Allen was disturbed during the course of the burglary and only got away with a box of painkillers, and the victim is delighted with the sentence that Allen received.”