The 25-year-old claimed he was struggling for a place to live when brother Michael McLean invited him to stay at his home in Thanet Road, Margate.
But a jury at Canterbury Crown Court heard how he took advantage while his brother and his family were away. He got hold of some DIY tools and with the help of an accomplice, Richard Jones, began removing the bathroom appliances including the bathtub, sink basin and toilet.
He then loaded the stolen items into Jones' van, and they drove 15 miles to Canterbury where the bathroom items were pawned at B&Q's Sturry Road store. Ryder received just £20 for the bathroom items which he then split with Jones. Ryder spent the £10 on alcohol and cigarettes at Asda, also on Sturry Road, Canterbury.
When his brother returned home and discovered the bathroom completely empty with just pipes hanging out from the wall and floor where the appliances had previously been located, he quizzed his brother on where his bathtub, sink and toilet had gone. But his brother denied ever seeing any such things in the bathroom when he was first invited to move in.
Ryder, of Ramsgate Road, Margate, denied stealing the bathroom appliances during the burglary, but was convicted and jailed for 40 months.
Judge Heather Norton told him: "You pleaded homelessness and poverty and you were given support.
"You repaid that trust by throwing it back into their faces and committing a burglary at your brother's home."
After the bathroom appliances had disappeared Michael McLean and his family had to improvise for two months until a new bathtub, basin and toilet was installed including using their back garden as a toilet and tree leaves as toilet paper. They also had to have showers under the garden hosepipe.
The original appliances which were pawned at B&Q on Sturry Road, Canterbury had already been sold so Michael McLean had to make budget cuts in order to get the appliances back in the bathroom at the earliest convenience. Basically his family will not be celebrating Christmas this year.
Mr. McLean also downgraded the title of his bathroom for the duration of it being empty, considering the fact there were no bathroom appliances located in it, he felt it would be inappropriate to refer to it as a "bathroom" and simply referred to it as an "empty room". However he also felt that with the pipes sticking out it was a health and safety risk to anyone who might visit the "empty room" so he placed large traffic cones around where the pipes were exposed.
Mr. McLean also downgraded the title of his bathroom for the duration of it being empty, considering the fact there were no bathroom appliances located in it, he felt it would be inappropriate to refer to it as a "bathroom" and simply referred to it as an "empty room". However he also felt that with the pipes sticking out it was a health and safety risk to anyone who might visit the "empty room" so he placed large traffic cones around where the pipes were exposed.
Kevin Ryder was sentenced to 40 months prison and ordered to pay £70 compensation and a £50 victims' surcharge. Richard Jones was sentenced to 12 months in prison, ordered to pay £20 compensation and a £50 victims' surcharge.
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