An alert neighbour called the police when a burglar alarm was activated in Biddenham near Bedford.
The police arrived at the five-bedroom house in Days Lane and an officer saw a white van leaving the area at speed, causing a passing Mini to swerve.
He managed to get a partial registration number as it headed towards Bedford town centre, Luton Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Robin Griffiths said the van was tracked to a disabled parking bay in Kempster Close in Queens Park.
Dennis Blakeborough was in the passenger seat and had glass from a broken patio door in his hair.
Mr Griffiths said the house owners, who are in their 70s, were away visiting family in Poland at the time of the break-in.
Entry had been gained by smashing a patio door at the back of the house and an untidy search was carried out.
Items stolen included a bottle of whisky, two cameras, a lap top, bank cards and necklaces.
A large knife and a smaller knife had also been taken from the kitchen.
Blakeborough, aged 50, appeared for sentence having admitted the burglary, which happened at 9pm on Thursday, June 24, 2021, and possessing two knives.
He had two previous convictions for burgling homes and a criminal record going back to when he was a youth.
John Lamb, defending, said: “He said to me. I can’t do it anymore I am too old.”
He said he had been told to commit the burglary to pay off a drug debt that went back to 2014.
Mr Lamb said Blakeborough had a long-standing addiction but, since his remand in custody from last June, had been drug free. He said he had been working in Bedford prison and was now what is known as a “responsible citizen.”
“He has an earnest wish to put his offending behind him,” he said.
Judge Steven Evans adjourned the case for Blakeborough to be assessed for the Integrated Offender Management programme that aims to stop persistent criminals reoffending.
He will sentence him at Huntingdon Crown Court on October 20.
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