A barking pet dog alerted a Radlett woman to a burglar in her home early in the morning, a court heard on Wednesday.

Mrs Joyce Fitzsimmons was woken at half past four by her pet's growls and went downstairs to investigate. She saw somebody 30 feet away escaping via the back garden of her home in Aldenham Avenue and heard her gate slam shut.

Prosecutor Geoffrey Porter told St Albans crown court Mrs Fitzsimmons, her husband and son were asleep at a quarter past four in the morning of July 12 this year when the burglary took place.

A downstairs window had been opened and drawers in the dining room and living room had been searched. A games console and a mobile phone, in total valued at £200, had been taken from the kitchen.

Fingerprints from the window were matched to Courtney Small, 21, from Dunstable. He was arrested on 2 September. He initially denied the burglary, but made full admissions after police told him about the fingerprints. He said he had acted as a look-out and was with another person on the burglary.

He pleaded guilty to burglary and asked for the theft of a car from Radlett and the theft of number plates from Luton to be taken into consideration.

Small, of Princes Street, Dunstable, had two previous burglary convictions - one was for a domestic burglary.

Probation officer Nicky Harrison said Small told her he had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the burglary and had been brow-beaten into committing the offence.

Defence barrister Ben Silverstone said Small wanted to get away from "bad influences" and move from his mother's address in Dunstable to live with his grandmother in St Albans. He said he hoped to soon start a carpentry apprentice.

Judge Marie Catterson passed an 8 month jail sentence suspended for 18 months with 12 months' supervision and 180 hours unpaid work. She told him: "You had better understand that you only need to commit one more domestic burglary to face a mandatory three year sentence."

As he left the dock Small said: "Thank you very much your honour."