A burglar broke into a house and stole several coats for "a laugh and a chase".
Arnold Rickerby, 47, entered a woman's property in Gateshead and made off with several coats. They contained receipts, train tickets and a passport belonging to the victim's son.
Residents living in the area informed the woman. When she shouted at him to give the items back, he shook his finger at her and continued to walk away.
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The victim followed Rickerby and rang police to let them know she had been burgled.
She then told security guards, stationed close to where he was walking, that he had stolen her property. They managed to detain him, as he raked through the coats on the ground, until officers arrived.
He was arrested following the incident, which occurred on the evening of Friday, June 2. He admitted burgling the woman’s home when interviewed by police saying it was "a laugh and a chase".
Rickerby, of Chevington, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to burglary and breach of a suspended sentence at Newcastle Crown Court. The court heard how he had more than 100 arrests and five convictions for burglary.
On Monday, Rickerby was sentenced at the court in Newcastle to two-and-a-half years in prison.
Following the sentencing hearing, Detective Constable Stuart Taylor, of Northumbria Police’s High Impact Team, said: "We are pleased to see that Rickerby in is now behind bars for his despicable actions.
"The victim was brave in pursuing him as he fled the scene of the crime and she acted quickly in what must have been a frightening situation to alert officers to what had happened.
"Our thanks also go to the security guard who was told of what Rickerby had done and was able to halt him with the assistance of colleagues before we got to the scene. I know the victim is extremely grateful for what they did and we are too.
"We hope that the sentence handed down by the court offers reassurance to the wider community that as a force, we will continue to do all we can to bring effective justice against prolific offenders."
