A “NON-STATUS” migrant who burgled a student property could not be sent back to his home country as he had no documentation to say where he had come from in the first place, a court was told.

Haile Ghebre, who originally hails from Eritrea, was said to be “stuck in limbo” and survived on a £35 a week hardship allowance, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The defendant admitted stealing a £300 television from the communal area of student flats in Borough Road, Middlesbrough, in the early hours of March 12 this year, after apparently climbing through a window.

Prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, Jenny Haigh said the occupant came back from a night out and disturbed Ghebre and another man, said to be his accomplice.

Ghebre claimed he was given £20 for his part in the burglary. The stolen television had since been recovered.

He had two previous convictions for commercial burglaries committed in London, including the theft of more than £11,000 worth of notebook computers.

Julian Gaskin, mitigating said 36-year-old Ghebre, of Jubilee Street, Middlesbrough, had a troubled background.

He claimed the Home Office had wanted to deport the defendant, but were having trouble doing so as he had no documentation to say where he originated from.

Mr Gaskin said Ghebre, who had been smoking the drug Spice when he committed the burglary, had volunteered as a gardener at the town’s Mima arts complex and was “stuck in a very difficult situation”.

Recorder Rachael Harrison gave him a 16 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, to include a ten day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He will do 200 hours unpaid work and be subject to a three month curfew at his home address between 8pm and 5am.