An unsuspecting burglar who was photographed leaving the scene of the crime by the Colchester homeowner has been jailed.

Irvin Teggart, 40, of Haven Road, Colchester, pleaded guilty to stealing items including a laptop, camera, and jewellery from a property in the Abberton area of Colchester.

Teggart was seen walking towards the house by the homeowner at around 2.30pm on April 4. The homeowner returned 45 minutes later to find it had been broken into.

The man left the house, walked down the road and saw the suspect again walking away from his home.

The victim then photographed the suspect and contacted the police.

Teggart was arrested in the Greenstead area of Colchester and was later charged with burglary.

Along with the photographs taken by the victim, Teggart’s DNA was found inside the property.

Appearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday last week, Teggart pleaded guilty. At the same court on Monday this week, he was jailed for eight years.

Detective Sergeant Paul Olney from Colchester CID said: “Burglary is an invasive crime that has a big impact on the victim.

“It is something that we take very seriously and I am pleased we’ve been able to bring Irvin Teggart to justice.

“He broke into the victim’s home, invaded their personal space, and stole items that were valuable to them.

“He now has a considerable amount of time in prison to reflect on the consequences of his actions and the effect it has had on the victim.”