A SWEATING man's heavy load landed him in prison after an off-duty policewoman became suspicious about him.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Brian Rumley, 30, of Darlington, had been out of jail for just a fortnight when he stole a marble fire surround from a lock-up garage.

The officer saw him struggling to carry his £1,000 haul in the Cleveland Terrace area of Darlington and reported him, said David Wilkinson, prosecuting.

When other police stopped Rumley, he was sweating heavily and had been arguing with two other men about being left to carry the fireplace, the court was told.

Mr Wilkinson said: "He said he was tired and did not want to carry his load any further and they had an argument."

Rumley said he took the surround after noticing that the garage door was open. The intention had been to sell it.

Rumley had been jailed for 32 months in April last year for burglary and breach of prison licence and still had 472 days outstanding from that sentence when the incident happened on August 1.

Jim Withyman, defending, said that, after his arrest, Rumley was recalled to prison and was not due for release until March.

He said: "He was in a cycle of offending which continues. He feels that he is getting nothing from the prison system."

Judge David Bryant told Rumley: "You are a man who has an appalling record, as you yourself accept, and over the past few years you have probably spent more time in prison than out of prison."

Rumley, of Grange Road, was jailed for 21 months, including 12 months from his previous sentence after he pleaded guilty to burglary.