A FATHER-of-two who smashed his way into a young mum's house at the dead of night for an ornament to impress a girl has been jailed for 21 months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Shaun Andrews, 22, terrified the victim so much she wanted to move house and her children had been hysterical.

He took a porcelain tiger off a window sill because a girl had told him she liked tigers.

Sentencing, Recorder Stephen Killeen told the defendant he had not gone out on a burglary expedition but had been stupid.

He said those who raided people's homes at night had to go to prision and continued: "That lady didn't know what she was going to meet when she got downstairs."

Andrews, of Pine Street, Burnley, admitted burglary.

David Macro, prosecuting, told the court last September, the victim had lived at Howsin Street, Burnley, with her two daughters.

At 3.05am, she was woken by the sound of smashing glass from downstairs. She went down and found the living room window broken and her ornament missing. The tiger was worth £35, but had sentimental value.

Mr Macro said the defendant and a friend had earlier got in a car with two girls in Nelson. They had been driving around and the girl he was sitting in the back with had told him she liked tigers.

The defendant had asked the driver to stop, said he was going to see his sister and returned 10 minutes later with the ornament.

His hand was bleeding but Andrews, who gave the girl the tiger, claimed his sister had cut him with a knife.

Andrews was arrested due to fingerprint evidence from the window pane.

John Woodward, defending, said Andrews had committed burglaries when he was 15 and 16.

He had gone away to school and institutions and it could be said he really struggled to break into adulthood in a proper way.

The defendant, who had written a letter to the court saying he felt sorry for the victim and wished the offence had never happened.

The barrister said Andrews wanted to get out of prison as soon as he could and look forward to a more meaningful lifestyle.