A "careless" burglar who was identified after leaving his homemade balaclava at the crime scene has been jailed.
Paul Nielson, 54, ransacked a property in Mitcham, south London, in March 2019 and stole a "substantial" number of items of both financial and sentimental value including jewellery, IT equipment and cash.
When the resident returned home, they found the front door had been barricaded by a cupboard, initially preventing them from getting inside.
A homemade balaclava fashioned from a piece of knotted black cloth with holes was found in one of the rooms.
Neilson was identified as the suspect when his DNA was found on the item.
Appearing at Kingston Crown Court, he pleaded not guilty to burglary.
Not denying the balaclava was his, Neilson claimed he had lost it or that it had been stolen, suggesting someone else had then used it to commit the burglary.
He claimed that explained another DNA profile also found on the face cover.
Nielson, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of burglary and sentenced to five years and six months in jail and 50 days of electronically monitored curfew.
Detective Constable David Picken, of the Metropolition Police, said: “To break into someone’s home and steal their belongings is a despicable crime.
"The effects of knowing that an intruder has been in your private space, where you should feel safe, can be long lasting and incredibly damaging.
“Thankfully, Neilson’s own carelessness has resulted in him being apprehended and imprisoned where he cannot invade the private space and possessions of law-abiding members of the public for some time to come.”
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