A MAN who lost £30,000 of household items during a burglary is now helping the man who stole them turn his life around.

Richard Quinn was left devastated when his former home in Darwen was burgled in 2013.

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Lee Jones was jailed for six years after being convicted of that offence and a string of other burglaries across Lancashire.

Mr Quinn agreed to meet Mr Jones as part of the Restorative Justice scheme and has since agreed to help him find work and transport.

Mr Quinn said: “Initially I wasn’t sure about meeting him at all.

“I still felt very angry and thought I might go into the meeting for the wrong reason.

“The Restorative Justice officer did a great job explaining the process to me and convinced me that Lee wanted to change.

“Meeting him in person wasn’t what I expected at all.

“I was surprised by how he looked and how well prepared and articulate he was.

“He looked me in the eye throughout and I was able to tell him about the effect the burglary had had on me.

“What impacted on me the most was the fact that I could tell that he really wanted to turn his life around.

“It was at that point that I started seeing things differently.”

Since the meeting Mr Jones has completed his prison sentence and has been off drugs for almost three years.

He said: “When I was doing the burglaries I was on crack and heroin, and burglary for me was about selling things to get the money for my drugs.

“I never thought about how it made anyone feel. Meeting Richard made me feel terrible. I felt very remorseful, regretful, ashamed and guilty.

“The watches I stole had sentimental value too and should have been passed down.”

Mr Jones now works for a charity supporting people with substance abuse issues and has not re-offended since his release from prison. Mr Quinn has since offered to help Mr Jones with job applications.

Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “Richard and Lee’s case is a perfect example of how Restorative Justice can make a major difference to lives.”