An Ipswich barman was caught out when the victim of a theft found the Christmas presents she had bought for friends and loved ones on sale on Facebook.

The woman left her shopping in a car parked on the driveway of a house in Waterford Road, Ipswich, overnight on December 1 last year, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The following morning she went to get into the car and realised the boot and passenger doors were open, said Joe Bird, prosecuting. The gifts were missing.

She went on to Facebook and noticed items she recognised for sale and this led police to Steven Jones, said Mr Bird.

He said the total value of the stolen items was £380 and when police searched Jones’ home they recovered some of the items that had been stolen from the car.

Jones, 24, of Richmond Road, Ipswich, admitted handling stolen goods. He also admitted two offences of criminal damage and breach of a suspended sentence order.

Mr Bird told the court the two offences of criminal damage related to doors at The Foyer in Ipswich. On October 31 Jones was seen on CCTV forcing a door to a lounge area causing £156 of damage and on November 28 in the early hours of the morning he was again caught on CCTV kicking the door of a flat, causing it to break in three places.

The damage to this door was £150, said Mr Bird.

He said Jones was made the subject of a two month prison sentence suspended for 12 months at Ipswich Crown Court in June last year and ordered to do unpaid work and take part in a rehabilitation activity requirement.

He had subsequently failed to attend an appointment with the probation service and hadn’t provided acceptable proof for his absence.

Jones told the court he wasn’t legally represented at the hearing because he had been advised by a solicitor that it was likely he would be sent to prison and he could save himself £750 by representing himself.

Jones said that since the offences he had been working as a barman and waiter and would lose his job if he was sent to prison.

He was jailed for 24 weeks.