A bungling burglar who broke into the wrong house before stealing a large pair of trousers and a sheet has been jailed for 32 months.

Jason Nicholls’ comedy of errors continued when he hid in the underside of a bed and refused to come out after police subsequently turned up at another property to take him into custody.

Nicholls, of Hawke Road, Ipswich, eventually relented after officers began shaking the bed to dislodge him.

The 29-year-old prolific criminal was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court after pleading guilty to a burglary in Silver Hill, Hintlesham, near Hadleigh, on July 23.

Nicholls also asked for nine other offences of dishonesty totalling £2,840 to be taken into account.

At the time of the break-in he mistakenly believed the house belonged to someone he knew, the court heard.

Jailing the father-of-two Judge Rupert Overbury told him: “You have an appalling record, for dishonesty particularly. Twenty-nine of your 91 offences and 43 convictions are for dishonesty.

“This (burglary) occurred during the day time. You made your way to someone else’s address. There was an untidy search and you left with nothing of any particular value at all.

“You were quickly discovered because you left your DNA everywhere.”

Earlier prosecutor Robert Sadd had told the judge: “I don’t mean this to be impertinent, but he (Nicholls) is a criminal and that’s what he does. He is by profession, and experience, a criminal.”

Neil Saunders, representing Nicholls, said his client apologised to the householder he burgled. Originally Nicholls had meant to go to see an associate at their home, but had made a mistake.

Mr Saunders said: “It was the wrong house. That doesn’t detract from the fact it was burglary.

“He realised he had got the wrong house instantly and got out through breaking the window, cutting himself.”

It is understood that after Nicholls cut himself he grabbed a sheet off the bed on which there was a large pair of trousers.

He used the sheet, with the trousers still in it, to bind his wound and left the house.

After the case police said Nicholls was arrested the same afternoon at Ipswich Hospital where he had gone for treatment.

He was bailed pending further enquiries.

However, on July 2 Nicholls was at the home of a friend when officers went there to take Nicholls back into custody.

He was said to have been found hiding in a divan bed refusing to come out.

It appeared the bed’s material had been split underneath and Nicholls had climbed up into it.

In order to get Nicholls to give himself up officers said they had to shake the bed until he came out.