A BURGLARY victim was so impressed with a criminal's apology that she sent him a £20 postal order.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Loretta Smith’s Kearsley home was burgled by Kevin Derbyshire, of Victoria Street, Farnworth and Graham Llewellyn, of Harper Green Road, also Farnworth

on August 28.

Antony Longworth, prosecuting, told the court how the two men had spotted an open skylight window and climbed into the property, searching the house before stealing jewellery worth £10,000.

Attempts were made to destroy a CCTV hard drive, but within 24 hours of the crime images from the camera clearly identifying Derbyshire and Llewellyn, both aged 24, were posted onto Facebook.

After seeing the pictures, Llewellyn bundled the stolen property into a black bin bag and left it outside Ms Smith’s home.

Police also spotted the Facebook post and arrested the two men.

Nicholas Ross, defending, told the court how Derbyshire was remorseful and had written to Ms Smith to apologise.

He added that the victim has written back to him in prison, accepting his apology and sending him a postal order for £20.

“It was out of remarkable sympathy, and I might say, in an almost saintly way, a token of her generosity,” he said.

He added that more property had been returned to Ms Smith than she had initially realised had been stolen.

Kate Harney, defending Llewellyn, said he had become almost institutionalised and had previously committed offences in order to go to jail where he felt more at home.

But she added that he had been hoping to turn his life around after finding a partner and becoming a father.

Derbyshire and Llewellyn both pleaded guilty to burglary and were each sentenced to 32 months in prison.