A burglar’s been found guilty of taking part in a break-in where more than £60,000 worth of jewellery was taken.

James Bourke, 28, of Pippin Road, Ongar, was arrested at and address in Ilford on April 3 and later charged with burglary.

He denied the charges but was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, October 3).

Another man, 29-year-old Thomas Large, of no fixed address, had already pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary.

Both men have been remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, November 5.

Two men broke was reported to have broken into an address in Fencepiece Road, Chigwell, between 9am and 12pm on March 21.

They had got into the property by climbing on to a flat roof at the back and smashing an upstairs window.

Once inside they rifled through the victim’s bedrooms and took jewellery worth at least £60,000 and a beige laundry bag.

When officers carried out enquiries in the area, one witness told them she had seen two men in her back garden on the same day.

She described one of the men was holding a cloth bag which appeared to have items in it.

The witness said the pair jumped over their fence before going round to the front of the house and onto Manor Road where she challenged them.

The duo then ran off towards the junction of Fencepiece Road.

CCTV then caught the men being challenged by another witness in Fencepiece Road, who one of the men threatened.

That man was identified as 28 year-old James Bourke.

Detective Sergeant Ben Elliott, from Harlow CID, said: “Burglary is an awful, invasive crime which can leave the victim feeling unsafe in their own home.

“James Bourke and Thomas Large had no respect for their victim’s property or personal space. They only cared about their own greed.

“Bourke in particular has shown no remorse for his actions, denying his involvement despite witness testimony and CCTV evidence to the contrary.

“As a police officer it is always satisfying to see a burglar convicted, knowing the face time behind bars where they cannot do something similar to someone else.

“I hope this conviction will help the victim move forward from this experience.”