'Mean' son burgled his mum's home in Leeds then sold her £13,000 car for £500 to pay off drug debt

Jahan Khalighi used the £13,000 vehicle to go on a shoplifting spree before selling it for just £500.

Leeds Crown Court heard Khalighi committed the offence at his mother's home in Alwoodley on August 14 last year.

Joseph Hudson, prosecuting, said Khalighi was a drug user who has stolen from his mother on a number of previous occasions.

Despite the offending, she would allow him to stay at her home on some occasions but he was not allowed a key to the property.

Four weeks before the offence the defendant stole his mother's iPad.

The day before the burglary she told Khalighi that she was going away for the weekend and that he should not go to the house while she was away.

When she returned from the trip she was told that her son had been offering her car for sale.

The woman then discovered that her car, a Nissan Juke, was missing.

Mr Hudson said Khalighi was arrested and told police he had sold the car to his drug dealer for £500.

Khalighi, 35, of Birkdale Drive, Alwoodley, pleaded guilty to burglary.

He has previous convictions for theft, burglary and aggravated vehicle taking.

The court heard Khalighi had used his mother's car as a getaway vehicle after carrying out shoplifting offences.

Khalighi was given a community order by magistrates on a previous occasion in relation to those offences.

Mr Hammond said his client had been complying with his community order and has been making good progress in tackling his addiction to drugs.

Khalighi was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and to complete five rehailitation activity requirement days.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: "This was a pretty mean burglary of your mother's house.

"You put what you needed ahead of what everybody else needed."