A quick-thinking victim of an armed serial thief helped snare him by following him after he had targeted his car.
Mark McManus broke in a Jaguar and when the owner was alerted by a neighbour and went to investigate he found windows smashed and property, including a watch and wallet, had been stolen.
The man got into his wife's car and tracked down the hi-vis jacket-wearing thief nearby.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim, who had contacted the police, saw McManus smash the passenger window of a BMW using the base of a knife.
Prosecutor Neil Pallister said: "He lost sight of him but the police arrived and he pointed officers in the direction the defendant had gone."
The court heard police quickly tracked down McManus, who was carrying the knife in his waistband, was wearing a stolen watch from the Jaguar and was still in possession of the other items he had taken.
Mr Pallister said the Jaguar owner was left "annoyed, stressed and frustrated" by what happened.
McManus, of no fixed address, who has a criminal record and was on a community order imposed in February, admitted three charges of theft from vehicles - the Jaguar, BMW and a Ford Fiesta and one of having a bladed article, on March 21 in the Thornhill area of Sunderland.
Judge Edward Bindloss, who sentenced him to eight months behind bars, told him: "You were given an opportunity in February and you failed to take it. You committed these offences during the course of a community order, with which you were not engaging well and your previous convictions aggravate your position."
Annalisa Moscordini, defending, said McManus had previously been "quite well known" in the Sunderland area as a city centre beggar.
Miss Moscordini added: "He was effectively homeless. He has had a very difficult early life. His mother died when he was young and he has no real family to speak of."
Miss Mocordini said McManus wants to work with the authorities to help address his issues, has a supportive partner and is capable of keeping out of trouble.
She added: "He wasn't using the weapon to threaten people. He was using the knife to open car doors or smash the windows.
"He is trying to get his life back together."
