A FATHER who handled stolen goods so he could ‘spoil his children’ has been jailed.

Michael Tweed, of Hereford Road, Weymouth, admitted being in possession of items including a television, a watch, a DVD player and a camera that he knew were stolen.

He said he’d lost his job and wanted to be able to buy gifts for his four children, Dorchester Crown Court heard.

In mitigation, Nicholas Robinson said the 34-year-old ‘felt the pressure to express his affection for his children so much that he closed his mind to the fact they were stolen goods.’ Tweed admitted he was planning to sell on the stolen property, which was taken during two burglaries in Wey-mouth in Novem-ber last year.

He was lodging with a friend who came downstairs one morning to find Tweed ‘half asleep’ surrounded by the goods, the court heard.

Mr Robinson added: “He’s very candid and quite embarrassed that Christmas was approaching and he lost his job, he had no money and he took those items to re-sell to earn money to buy presents for his children.”

Although Tweed denied any involvement in the burglaries, Judge Roger Jarvis said it was obvious Tweed was ‘close’ with whoever broke into the homes.

Tweed, who has 21 convictions for 52 offences including a number of dishonesty matters, has been unable to comply with community orders when the court ‘took a chance’ on him in the past, Judge Jarvis said. Jailing Tweed for 14 months for both counts to be served concurrently, Judge Jarvis told him: “If it wasn’t for people who handle stolen goods there would be very fewer burglaries.

“The moment of your handling of those items is very close to the burglaries and the only thing I can make from that is that you are very close to and almost certainly know who the burglar is.”