A man who took part in a raid on a house in Royal Wootton Bassett where jewellery worth thousands of pounds was taken has been jailed for 34 months.

Fred Newdick, 31, was caught on CCTV knocking on the front door of the house in Station Road moments before an accomplice broke in and ransacked it.

But he insisted he had been exploited by an old school friend who tried to “fit him up” by using his crow bar and trainers in the raid. He even claimed he had paid the other man for aftershave stolen during the break-in when police later found the bottles of scent in his flat.

But after hearing evidence at Swindon Crown Court, a judge rejected his claim he was pressurised into the raid in April.

Newdick was on bail for breaking into electrical substations and stealing batteries, which could have led to power cuts, when the burglary took place.

He said he was being bullied by the other man who came to his Swindon flat and told him to drive him to the house. After parking he was told to ring the doorbell, and when no one answered he went back to the car and his pal sprung into action.

Newdick said the passenger went to the boot and took his crowbar and trainers, though he was still unaware what was going on. When he came back later, he said he had a bag with items in and told him to drive home, which he did.

Later that day he said the man returned to his flat unannounced when his partner was there with their children, who were asleep.

He said he was sold two bottles of aftershave for £20 each and handed over another £100 when the man threatened the children.

But after hearing evidence, Recorder Stephen Lennard said he did not believe he played such a minor role in the crime.

Though he accepted Newdick may not have gone into the house, he ruled he was not coerced into taking part.

He heard that a few weeks earlier he had been arrested after taking part in theft from two electricity substations in Swindon.

Newdick, of Whitworth Road, Swindon, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary.