BLOOD left at the scene of a crime led detectives to catch a bungling burglar, who had stolen useless electrical goods.The vacuum cleaner and microwave taken by Hayley Nicholls had been relegated to a metal storage container by Bennetts shop staff, because both were damaged or faulty.

BLOOD left at the scene of a crime led detectives to catch a bungling burglar, who had stolen useless electrical goods.

The vacuum cleaner and microwave taken by Hayley Nicholls had been relegated to a metal storage container by Bennetts shop staff, because both were damaged or faulty.

Nicholls, 32, formerly of Clarence Road, Ipswich but now living in emergency accommodation in Woodbridge Road with her partner and four children, pleaded guilty to burglary on February 15 last year, and failing to surrender to Woodbridge police station on January 28.

Prosecuting at South East Suffolk magistrates Court yesterday , David Taylor said forensic tests on blood found at the scene matched Nicholls' records, yet she told police she didn't know how her blood came to be inside the metal container.

But he added: "By her plea she accepts that the only explanation is that she was involved in the burglary.

"The goods were defective, and that's the reason they were there. I'm not going to ask for compensation because it would be very difficult to assess what sort of value - if any - they would have if sold as defective goods by Bennetts."

Mitigating, Ian Duckworth said Nicholls had yet to start a 120-hour community punishment order imposed in March, and said her past offences had been committed while she was 'very much under the influence.'

He added: "She takes a pragmatic view and says 'I can't think of any explanation so perhaps I did do something wrong.'"

Nicholls was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.