A drunk burglar was caught after handing his wallet containing his ID to his victim as an apology-before fleeing the home he had broken in to.
Dumb Leslie Morrison, 28, had been drinking all day before burgling a flat in St George,Bristol on his way home at 3am.
A woman inside the house woke to find Morrison in her lounge on March 6 and confronted him.
May Li, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court on Friday (01/04) the resident asked how Morrison had got in, before chasing him out of the property.
Morrison, of Speedwell, Bristol denied taking the woman’s purse and giving her his own wallet as an apology.
When the victim threatened to call the police, Morrison initially said he would wait to be arrested by police but then fled the scene.
The court heard he left the home with a television remote control and a joss stick holder. The woman’s purse, which contained £10, was also missing from the property.
When officers arrived, Morrison was arrested walking towards his home nearby. His details matched those in a driving licence found in the wallet he gave to the victim.
In his police interview, he said he could not recall the flat he had burgled or being chased by the victim.
But he confimed the house was located on one of two roads he walked along to get home.
Ms Li said Morrison had no previous convictions for burglary and was last in court in 2001.
He admitted stealing the remote control and joss stick holder.
Brian Carrick, defending, said: “My client was drunk and he ran away when the complainant ran after him.
“He was nothing short of abjectly apologetic and gave her his wallet. There was no sign of a search and no items of value were taken.
“The complainant was not distressed by what happened and had the courage to chase him. He was utterly compliant before taking off again.”
Magistrates said the offence was so serious, Morrison would need to be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on April 22.