A 61-year-old burglar has admitted stealing jewellery worth thousands of pounds.

Nigel Shaun Collister stole a Rolex watch, engagement rings, bracelets and chains from an 84-year-old man’s home.

Collister did gardening for the victim and broke into the house in Ramsey while the man was off the island.

He also burgled a second house in Andreas and stole a gold watch.

Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks declined summary court jurisdiction and committed Collister to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentencing.

Prosecuting advocate Rebecca Cubbon told the court that Collister was friends with the victim’s daughter and did some gardening for him, so he had been in the house in Ramsey previously for legitimate reasons. The man collected antique jewellery and had one piece, a gold bracelet, hidden in a grandfather clock at the property.

Most of the jewellery belonged to the man’s late wife and when he mentioned it to Collister, whose address was given in court as no fixed abode, said: ’I would be interested, can I have a look?’

He was shown the jewellery and made the man an offer of £3,000, which he did not want to accept.

On September 8 the man left the island, travelling to the UK, and asked a neighbour to keep an eye on his house.

On September 17, while the man was still off-island, Collister was seen near the address and a member of the public noticed that a rear door was smashed at the property.

The victim returned home the following day and found that the grandfather clock door was open, a bureau was damaged and a glass cabinet was smashed.

Collister was arrested and police found a pouch on him which contained a ring and gem stones, which were stolen during the burglary.

Some of the property was later recovered when a man told police that he had bought a watch and coins from Collister for £2,000.

A second victim reported that a gold watch had gone missing from her home in Andreas.

Overall the items taken in the two burglaries were said to be an 18 carat gold Rolex watch worth between £8,000 and £9,000, a bracelet valued at £2,500 in 1995, a neck chain valued at £450 in 1984, a silver ring worth £1,200, a chain said to be worth £700, and engagement rings valued at a total of £2,700 around 10 years ago.

sentencing

Ms Cubbon submitted that the case was too serious for summary court sentencing.

Defence advocate David Reynolds said that this was accepted, as it was a breach of trust, and asked for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing.

Mr Reynolds said that no bail application could be made as his client had no address to go to.

Deputy High Bailiff Mr Brooks remanded Collister in custody and ordered him to appear at the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentencing on October 22.