The woman had earlier fled her home with her children as Kevin Wilkinson, 31, had been banging on her front door.
Wilkinson had just moved into the tenement block of flats in Talisman Avenue, Galashiels at the time.
He pleaded guilty to charges of vandalism, breach of the peace and theft by housebreaking in April.
Juliet Petrusev, prosecuting, told Jedburgh Sheriff Court the woman had been sleeping late at night when Wilkinson started banging on the door and causing a commotion in the flats.
Gained entry
She decided to take her children to a friend's house nearby.
She then watched as the living room lights of her home were switched on after Wilkinson had gained entry by kicking in the bottom panel of her door.
The neighbour then called the police who arrived on the scene and discovered Wilkinson had stolen a digital camera and an MP4 player from the woman's flat.
He had also caused damaged costing about £1,500 to repair.
Sheriff Kevin Drummond branded the crimes "despicable".
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