Two burglars with 15 previous convictions will be behind bars for a combined eight years after being caught red-handed scaling a 14 foot metal fence into the hands of police.

Victim Pablo Jorge, of Myrna Close, Colliers Wood, woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night in December last year because he had forgotten to lock his front door.

He got up at 1.30am to lock it but it was too late – Arnold Akuffo and Kyle Tuck had already snuck into the end-of-terrace house and taken his BlackBerry mobile phone, his wallet containing cash and bank cards and his Armani wristwatch from the kitchen.

Mr Jorge's was one of three homes targeted on a crime spree by the pair overnight between Monday, December 15 and Tuesday, December 16 last year.

They took a silver Volkswagen Polo from outside a home in Crusoe Road, Mitcham, and parked it up less than a mile away in Worcester Close, leaving a door partly open.

Tuck, 23, of Venus Mews, Mitcham, and Akuffo, 19, denied any involvement and tried every trick in the book to get away with it, according to the investigating officer, but were found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary and one theft of a motor vehicle after a week's trial at Kingston Crown Court.

A police report shows they targeted three homes in the middle of the night, stealing the car, wallet and phone before being spotted by one of the victims in the street.

Steven Corsial of Worcester Close, Mitcham, was alerted to the break-in by his burglar alarm and reported two men with hooded tops on walking away from his house.

In an unmarked police car, officers PC Chris Rutland and PC Emily Bailey gave chase. They saw Tuck drop a black wallet and both men continued running along Kings Road, scaling a 14 ft metal fence in an attempt to flee.

Akuffo, of Merton High Street, was seen to drop a phone before both of them climbed over the fence. But the dog unit was on the other side of the fence and officers detained them.

The phone and wallet were both seized and it has been confirmed that these both belong to Mr Jorge, whose house had been burgled earlier that evening.

The pair gave 'no comment' interviews and had pre-prepared statements read out by solicitors, denying any involvement.

Between them the pair have clocked up 15 previous convictions for crimes including robbery and burglary.

Detective inspector Dan O'Sullivan of Wimbledon CID said: "This was a great result after a week's trial and I feel that the sentences reflect the seriousness of the offences that they committed. This will also send out a message to criminals and the public alike that residential burglary is taken very seriously by the courts."

On Friday, July 17, Tuck was jailed for five years and Akuffo was jailed for three years.