A MAN already on bail for trying to pass drugs to his son during a prison visit carried out a New Year's Day burglary, a court heard.

The victim returned to his Newton Aycliffe home at 2.30am on January 1, to find he'd already been visited by an unwanted 'first-footer'.

Durham Crown Court heard that an expensive lap-top computer was missing, plus a mobile phone, coin collection, an air rifle, a ring and a hold-all bag, with a total value of almost £1,500.

Rupert Doswell, prosecuting, said two finger print lifts taken from the home linked Ian Carl Adcock to the crime.

He initially denied involvement, claiming he had taken drugs at numerous addresses that night and could not recall where he had been, but he could not account for why his fingerprints would be at the burgled house.

But the 50-year-old, of Skipton Close, Newton Aycliffe, admitted burglary at a subsequent hearing before magistrates and the case was sent for sentence to the crown court.

Mr Doswell said Adcock was on bail following his arrest after being seen passing something to his son as he was ending a visit at Durham Prison on September 10 last year.

His son was searched and a plastic wrap dropped to the floor, which contained a small amount of cannabis resin.

On checking footage from the visits area, the exchange was confirmed as Adcock was shaking his son’s hand on getting up to leave.

Adcock yesterday (Tuesday April 12) admitted charges of conveying a prohibited article into prison and supplying a class B drug.

As a result of both the burglary and prison visit convictions it put Adcock in breach of a previous suspended prison sentence imposed for burglary of a house where he was doing gardening work, at Redworth Hall, Darlington, on June 14 last year.

The court heard 3,500 United Arab Emirates dirhams were stolen, some of which had been exchanged for sterling.

Julian White, mitigating, said a sporadic drug addiction was at the root of Adcock’s problems, but he was “fully aware” of the likely sentence.

“He’s 50 now and he knows the time has come when he he’s got to stop offending,” added Mr White.

Adcock was given a total prison sentence of three years and seven months after Judge Simon Hickey said there was no reason the separate penalties for the various offences should not be served consecutively.