A THIEF who stole items from a bereavement centre situated within one of the region’s main hospitals admitted his crime was “disgusting”.

James Fraser was put on the spot by Judge Sean Morris about the theft of two mobile phones from the centre at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, which belonged to a member of staff.

The judge told Fraser: “For all you know those phones might have been taken from somebody whose child had just died.”

The defendant replied: “I know, disgusting.”

Fraser, of Sutton Way, Saltersgill, Middlesbrough, was jailed for 18 months at Teesside Crown Court after admitting burglary, handling stolen goods and having an offensive weapon.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters said the 35-year-old was arrested by police on April 3 this year when he was seen wearing a jacket identified as stolen from a car parked in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough.

He was bailed and then recalled to prison on licence, before being released and going on to commit the hospital burglary on May 31.

The defendant was seen on CCTV at the hospital hanging around the entrance doors to the bereavement centre and then heading off in the direction of Marton Road with a carrier bag.

In a later incident, on June 3, Fraser was reported by a member of the public who alleged he was carrying either an axe or a hammer in the street.

Ms Masters said when police arrived Fraser was seen to place a metal bar on a wall behind him, although Judge Morris also referred to him being in possession of a cosh.

Duncan McReddie, mitigating, said Fraser had been legitimately at the hospital in order to have a replacement catheter fitted and said the burglary was opportunistic.

He said he had a long standing addiction to drugs.