A plumber stole more than £10,000 of jewellery from a home where he had fitted a new boiler.

Andrew Skingley, had been tasked as a sub-contractor by Ability Ltd, a plumbing firm in Tunbridge Wells, to fit a new boiler at the home of Mr and Mrs McCreadie who live in Sevenoaks.

After fitting the boiler in December 2020, he returned in January 2021 to carry out remedial work and took £10,275 of rings and other jewellery.

He rifled through drawers in the couple's bedroom to find the gold while Mrs McCreadie was downstairs, keeping her distance as she was shielding during the pandemic because she had a heart condition.

After completing the work, the 37-year-old plumber then left their home and called a pawnbrokers in Orpington.

As the couple had been so careful about who they let into their home, when they realised the jewellery was missing they suspected it had been taken the plumber. They contacted police and made a list of the items missing.

Skingley was arrested and charged with theft in a dwelling and fraud by false representation in relation to claiming the jewellery was his when he sold it.

He appeared in court in August 2022 and denied the allegation.

Skingley, a father-of two from Little Cattins, Harlow, Essex, appeared on January 10 at Maidstone Magistrates' Court where Mr McCreadie gave evidence.

He told the court his wife of 40 years had been left very upset and the couple had only got three rings back. The other 14 items have never been recovered.

Caroline Aitken, prosecuting, told the court Skingley had made a call to the pawnbrokers via the work phone he had been given by Ability Ltd.

She said the company van he was using had a tracker on it which showed he had gone to Orpington High Street on January 7 and again on January 13.

Some of the jewellery had been recovered from the pawnbrokers by the police, but not all of it.

She told the court, hardly anyone had been in their home, apart from their children and employees of the plumbing firm.

Mrs Aitken said: "He [Skingley] was arrested in the February and during interview with police he made no comment."

She also showed magistrates pictures of the jewellery stolen which included an eternity ring, an opal and diamond ring as well as other gold rings and earrings.

The court was told that when Skingley was arrested a pawnbroker's receipt had been found in his partner's car under a seat.

The bench also heard Skingley give evidence. He claimed he had purchased the jewellery from a third party for about £500 and just wanted to make a bit of cash and didn't know the hoard was stolen.

He said: "I never took it [the jewellery]. I admit I did go to the pawnbrokers as I wanted to make a quick profit.

"I refute the claim I stole it. I have been a plumber for 16 years and have not got a blemish on my record in that time and I have never been in trouble in my life.

"If I had known where it had come from, I would never have touched it. I sold it under the belief it was legitimate. I am not the person who took it."

However, magistrates found him guilty of both charges and sent the matter to Maidstone Crown Court for sentencing.

They ordered a pre-sentencing report be carried out on Skingley and he was granted bail until he appears at the crown court on a date to be fixed.