A teenager who burgled a pregnant woman’s Shropshire home and stole jewellery including a pendant with a lock of her late son’s hair has been sent to a young offenders’ institute for 20 months.

Joshua Richards, 18, of Southgate, Sutton Hill, Telford, burgled two homes, one at Willow Bank, Aqueduct, Telford, the second shortly after at Stocking Park Road, Lightmoor, Telford, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard yesterday.

He damaged property and took hundreds of pounds worth of personal items on January 24.

Mr Andrew Barkley, prosecuting, said: “He stole three mobile phones worth about £600 in total, five gold rings, one of which had a large stone in it, earrings, a gold chain, four further chains, and a gold bracelet as well as a locket with pictures and a lock of hair of the owner’s late son.”

Richards forced entry into the home in Aqueduct via a window using a wrench and a metal pole.

The items were recovered nearby.

Later the same day he broke into a four-bedroom family home in Lightmoor stealing several cameras, an iPhone, computer games and a laptop.

“The occupier found muddy foot prints on the kitchen floor and the wooden frame of the window had been damaged,” added Mr Barkley.

“Upstairs property had been strewn all over the place and items had been removed. The whole incident was extremely upsetting and left them shocked and distressed.”

Richards also tried to break into a third home but was scared off by the alarm.

Mr Adrian Roberts, for Richards, who is 6ft 8ins tall, said: “He’s a big lad for his age and he’s very worried about going into custody and on reflection would rather not go.

“The offences were not planned. He didn’t go to the scene with any tools.”

Richards, who admitted both burglaries, was sentenced to 16 months in a young offenders’ institute and given a further four months for breaching a suspended sentence for threatening criminal damage from last July.

He was given a 12 months for the attempted burglary which will run at the same time.

Judge Peter Barrie told Richards: “You broke into two private houses, the first of those victims has suffered the loss of a locket of great sentimental value, which has caused great distress to her.”

By Paul Mannion