A burglar led police straight to his door by leaving a trail of his blood from his victim's home to his own.

John Carr had injured himself when he smashed his way into Lee Emm's home while he was away for the weeked last month.

Once inside the Trinity Walk flat in South Shields, the 20-year-old sprayed graffiti on the walls and stole a television, hi fi and mountain bike.

But Newcastle Crown Court heard, little did he realise, when he crept back to his nearby home he had left behind a trail which directed officers straight to him.

Prosecutor Neil Pallister told Newcastle Crown court: "Police saw whoever committed the offence had left a trail of blood.

"They followed that to the defendant's address."

Mr Pallister said the property stolen in the raid was still inside Carr's property.

Carr was arrested and told police: "It was me".

He said he had been high on drugs when he decided to target the flat because he believed Mr Emms had smashed a window at his home some time before.

Carr, of Laygate, South Shields, admited burglary.

Kevin Smalcombe, defending, said Carr and Mr Emms remain friends despite the break-in.

Mr Smalcombe said: "This is an unusual case."

Judge Beatrice Bolton sentenced Carr to 14 months in a young offenders institute.

She told him: "This was a specifically targeted burglary at your ex friend's house.

"Not only did you steal property but you sprayed grafitti inside, you admitted you took a can in to do so, and that puts this type of burglary into the serious category.