An Ashland, Ky., man cut short his burglary trial Monday by pleading guilty to a slightly reduced charge.

John Mathieson was on trial in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court accused of stealing a small safe, jewelry, a laptop computer and other items from a house he had helped remodel.

The incident happened in March 2007. Judge Charles Cooper accepted Mathieson’s plea and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Mathieson is in the Lawrence County Jail awaiting the outcome of that report.

Authorities said Mathieson was hired as part of a remodeling crew to help renovate an Ironton residence. He later returned to the residence and burglarized it.

A jury was seated Monday, opening statements were given and the victim testified about the crime before the trial was recessed for lunch.

After lunch, Mathieson agreed to plead guilty to the burglary charge that had been amended from second degree to third degree since the victims were not at home at the time of the burglary.