Burglar needed hospital treatment after being apprehended by dad and son when he broke into their home
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Alan Haycock was caught red-handed after he targeted the property in Wakefield.
Leeds Crown Court heard 46-year-old Haycock carried out the offence on January 25, 2019.
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Hide AdDanielle Graham, prosecuting, said the house was undergoing extensive redevelopment at the time and may have appeared to be unoccupied.
The couple who lived there were in bed asleep and their son was also at the house.
The dad was disturbed by the noise after Haycock entered through a patio door.
He went downstairs to find Haycock in the living room unplugging a TV and a games console.
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Hide AdThe dad and his son confronted Haycock outside the property and there was a struggle.
The defendant had a set of allen keys around his neck and was also in possession of a head torch and gloves.
A wheelbarrow containing the victims' mobile phones and other items stolen in the burglary was found outside the property.
Police were contacted and officers took Haycock to hospital after arresting him.
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Hide AdHaycock, of Windhill Court, Wakefield, was interviewed about the incident and initially denied any wrongdoing.
He claimed he had been on his way home from drinking at a pub and had seen two men outside the house.
Haycock denied going into the house and claimed he was confronted as he looked through the items in the wheelbarrow.
He later pleaded guilty to burglary.
The defendant has 52 previous convictions for offences including fraud, theft and dealing drugs but had not offended since 2011.
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Hide AdTom Jackson, mitigating, said the victims of the burglary "dispensed their own method of justice."
The barrister said neighbours dialled 999 after seeing Haycock being kicked by two people as he was on the ground.
Mr Jackson said his client had a history of alcohol and heroin abuse and would lose his accommodation if he was sent to custody.
Haycock was given a two-year sentence, suspended for 18 months.
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Hide AdHe was ordered to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and was made the subject of an electronically tagged curfew order.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "You are 46 now. It is about time you actually stopped committing offences. It is a younger man's game."