A teenage burglar has been spared prison – after he agreed to help his mum with household chores instead.
Jamie Froom, 18, was told he will stay out of jail if he makes his bed, does the washing up and is nice to his parents.
He admitted two daytime break-ins but a judge said he would not jail him – if he does his fair share of domestic duties.
The teenage thief was allowed to walk free from court – after he agreed to help his mother around the house.
But Judge David Ticehurst said if his mum later tells the court he is not pulling his weight at home – he will be locked up.
Froom pleaded guilty to two burglaries and was ordered him to do 120 hours unpaid work and six months of drug rehabilitation.
But he was allowed to walk free from Bristol Crown Court – after he agreed on the condition to help around the home.
Judge Ticehurst told him: “You can make your bed every day, do the washing up and respect your mum and dad.”
Jamie’s sentence was slammed as an “absolute disgrace” by horrified campaigners.
Father-of-three David Davis, Conservative MP for Monmouthshire, said Froom should have been locked up for his callous crimes instead of being told to do household chores.
He raged: “It is absolutely disgraceful sentence. People who commit burglaries should go to prison automatically.”
The court heard Froom, of Mangotsfield, Bristol, had left home after rowing with his parents but was later allowed to return.
Nicholas Fridd, prosecuting, said two burglaries had occurred in April on two homes in Bristol.
He said the owner of the first house left it locked but returned to find property stolen and people fleeing the scene.
The court heard that in a raid on the second house three teenagers carrying stolen goods were caught as they fled.
Mr Fridd told the court: “All property was recovered, which included computer equipment, euros and a ring.”
Two youths aged 15 and 16 at the time pleaded guilty to their involvement and were sent to be dealt with at the youth court.
Froom’s fingerprints were found inside the first home but he made no comment when interviewed by police.
The court heard both younger boys had previous convictions but Froom had none.
Froom’s mother Melanie, 35, a home carer, said after the case: “I thought what the judge said was good. I quite appreciated it. I felt the judge was on my side.”
Anjali Gohil, defending, urged the judge to consider the case as one of ”lesser harm and lower culpability”’.
She said: “The offences were on impulse and there was limited intrusion into the properties. These were daytime burglaries of unoccupied dwellings.
“Mr Froom gave an early guilty plea and no basis was offered. He accepted the prosecution case.”
She said he was deemed low risk of re-conviction and suggested the judge follow the recommended community order, with special regard to addressing Froom’s cannabis use.
Jamie said the judge’s ruling was ”unfair” – because he already does housework and is now getting nagged by his mum.
Jobless Jamie, 18, lives with mother-of-five Melanie and his car mechanic father in a terraced four-bedroomed house on a residential estate in Mangotsfield, Bristol.
Jamie says he’s already ”good around the house” but following the court case his mum is now constantly nagging him.
He told SWNS : ‘”I think he was a bit strict, saying I have to tidy my room or go to prison.
“My mum and nan were at court and they completely agreed with him. I think I’m quite good around the house.
“I do my room and sometimes I do the washing. I can’t do anything today though, because I’ve got probation.
“Since the court case my mum has been on at me to do more. She’s been telling me to do the cleaning, wash the clothes and sort my room out.
“I am going to try and do it though, I don’t want to go to prison. To be honest, I think he should have sent me to prison for what I did.
“I’ve been in trouble a few times before but never for anything serious, just minor arrests.
I did it [the burglary] with a few mates and none of us got sent to prison.
“We probably should have done. I’m going to keep out of trouble now. I don’t work, I did media studies at college but now I want to be a mechanic like my dad.”
