A burglar who was caught breaking into a school on a Saturday told police he was trying to enrol his unborn child.

Drug addict James Pearson, 23, was arrested as he tried to raid the caretaker's house at Stranton Primary School, in Hartlepool, Teesside, in October last year.

Pearson walked free from Teesside Crown Court yesterday after a judge heard his explanation. Jamie Hill, defending, said: "It is still his position that he was so excited his girlfriend was pregnant he was contemplating the registration of the child."

Pearson, of Howard Street, Hartlepool, told police officers he had simply been confused and thought it was Friday.

Even though Pearson, who has 18 previous convictions for burglary, admitted the raid, Mr Recorder Jim Norris, decided not to jail him.

He was given a one-year probation order and walked free from the court. Prosecutor John Gillette said the crime was uncovered when the caretaker, Malcolm Adams, and his wife returned home to find Pearson inside.

Mr Adams tackled Pearson and held on to him when he clambered onto a tumble driver and tried to climb out of the window of a utility room, the court heard.

The court was told that Pearson made threats throughout the incident, but Mr Adams held on to him until the police arrived. Mr Hill said his client did admit he was in the caretaker's house "looking for a couple of pounds".

He said Pearson had been in custody ever since the crime, but that spell had helped him to withdraw from his heroin addiction.

Mr Recorder Norris said his behaviour had been "totally unacceptable" but said he was not passing a prison sentence because of the time already spent in custody.