A 19-year-old man high-fived his pal while stealing from his own mother.

James Watson broke into his own mother’s flat, in Crown Road, Sutton, and threw a small safe off the balcony to his accomplice James Wall, 19, waiting below.

Police said Watson climbed down to meet Wall and gave him a congratulatory high-five before wrapping up the small safe, containing money, in his hoodie.

Watson and Wall then walked off along Collingwood Road following the burglary on Thursday, August 8, at 11.15am.

However, an off-duty police officer became suspicious of their parcel and flagged down a passing police car.

The police officers caught up with the men in an alleyway near Orchard Road where Watson was trying to climb over a fence.

Wall was arrested on the spot for burglary but Watson tried to make off and was later found curled up in an alleyway.

Police believe Watson entered his mother’s flat by climbing to a balcony and entering through an open window.

At Croydon Crown Court, on Friday September 20, James Watson, of Wimbledon YMCA, was sentenced to 10 months detention in a young offender institution after pleading guilty to burglary.

The same day James Wall, of Hillside Close, Morden, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to burglary.