A THIEF was spotted on a house CCTV camera attempting to break into a home he had previously burgled.

Simon Barrett, prosecuting, told Judge Timothy Stead how Zsolt Kolompar was already on bail after being arrested for burgling the house in Gresham Street, Astley Bridge, when he tried again on February 21.

Judge Stead heard how householder Christopher Riley was at work when he received an alert from the Google Nest app on his phone warning that there was a potential problem at his home.

But when he returned to the terraced property he found it secure. Mr Barrett said that it was only when Mr Riley went home that evening and looked at the app on his computer that he saw 29-year-old Kolompar, who lived in the same street.

Just before 2pm Kolompar had forced the rear yard’s gate and gone to the back door before using an implement to try and force open the downstairs window. The attempt to break in was unsuccessful and he left.

Kolompar had previously broken into the house on January 9 and stolen a money jar, worth £10, for which he received a suspended prison sentence.

Andrea Lock, defending, told Judge Stead that Kolompar’s family have found him a new place to live in Derby Street and that he needs help for mental health difficulties.

“Clearly that is at the heart of this particular rash of offending,” she said.

Kolompar pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and his latest sentencing hearing took place before Judge Stead via a Skype video conference at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

After hearing all the evidence and taking into account that defendant has spent 37 days in prison awaiting sentence, Judge Stead sentenced him to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered him to participate in 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

“In many ways he deserves the recent days or weeks that he has spent in custody but I think the justice of the situation is met if he gets a suspended sentence now,” said the judge.

A restraining order was made banning Kolompar from going to Gresham Street again.

“You can’t go visiting your mother there or anybody else,” Judge Stead told him.

“If you do you will be committing a criminal offence and end up where you are now.”