A burglar was sniffed out and caught by a police dog as he hid in the loft of a house he broke into.
Paul Scatchard, 33, was caught red-handed after he was inside the property on Cumberland Avenue, Headingley, and the home owners returned home unexpectedly.
A window to the property had been smashed and Scatchard could be seen inside.
Scatchard’s accomplice Tony Baggley, 32, was acting as a look out and was photographed walking away by a member of family who lived at the house.
Officers were contacted and went into the property by there was no sign of Scatchard until a police dog indicted that he was in the loft.
Warnings were shouted up at Scatchard but he refused to come down and the animal was sent into the loft.
He was in possession of six silver rings worth around £1,000 which belonged to the home owners.
Other items in the premises had been placed next to a window ready to be taken. Baggley was later identified with the help of the picture taken of him close to the scene.
Scatchard, of Grantham Towers, Burmantofts, and Baggley, of Barton Crescent, Beeston. both pleaded guilty to burglary.
The court heard both men had previous convictions for house burglary.
Narinder Rathour, for Scatchard, said his client had pleaded guilty to the offence at the earliest opportunity.
He added that Scatchard had a drug problem and was on Valium at the time of the offence. He said: “He has no excuses as to why he committed the offence.”
Christopher Smith, for Baggley, said his client also had drug problems and accepted that he would be facing a lengthy sentence.
He said: “He tells me that since the age of 20 he thinks he has had approximately just 10 months of liberty.” He said to me ‘I am clueless when out in society’.”
Jailing both men for three years, judge James Spencer QC said: “I have no alternative but to impose a minimum sentence proscribed by law.”