A night-time security guard was caught on camera using his master key to steal more than £5,000 from the rooms of students he was paid to protect, a Court heard.

Patrick Edge, 19, committed two “ridiculous and daft” burglaries at Haria Towers in Smith Street, next to the University of Bradford.

He stole a female student’s purse containing US dollars to a value of £3,488 and £1,737 from the university hockey club when he burgled its secretary.

Edge, a college student, of Bracken Bank Avenue, Bracken Bank, Keighley, pleaded guilty to two offences of burglary on the night of November 11-12 last year.

Prosecutor Ewan McLachlan told Bradford Crown Court yesterday Edge was working as an overnight security officer at the student accommodation when he used his master key to enter the two rooms, locking them behind him when he left.

He was seen on CCTV going to the floors where he committed the burglaries and his key automatically recorded every room he entered.

Edge was captured on CCTV tampering with a camera in the security office. He returned it to the female student’s room with an incriminating shot on it of his office.

Police searched his home the next day and found all but £665 of the missing money.

After hearing that Edge was of positive good character and was a carer for his sick grandfather, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC asked: “What on earth was he playing at?”

In mitigation, Edge’s solicitor advocate, Nigel Jamieson, said he was always going to be caught. He admitted the burglaries to his employer the next day and went to retrieve the money from his home but the police were already waiting for him.

Edge’s voluntary work in the community included refereeing junior football matches. Mr Jamieson said Edge was concerned about his grandfather and hoped to pay for respite care for him to give his grandmother a break.

“If mercy was shown to him today, it would not be lost upon him,” Mr Jamieson said.

Judge Durham Hall told Edge he had been “unbelievable, irrational, stupid”. It was “ridiculous and daft offending” and discovery was inevitable, the judge said.

Edge was sentenced to 12 months’ detention, suspended for two years, with 150 hours’ unpaid work and a probation service activity requirement.

He must pay back the outstanding money at £10 a week.