A burglar was jailed for three years after telling a judge: "I will take whatever punishment I deserve."

David Bielicki asked his lawyer not to say anything on his behalf when he appeared in court to be sentenced.

The 31-year-old admitted two burglaries and asked for three other offences to be taken into consideration.

His lawyer Robert Mochrie told Judge Peter Armstrong: "I am specifically instructed to say nothing at all."

Bielicki said: "I understand I have a bad past and I don't want my legal representative to justify it."

The Middlesbrough man added: "I want to put my guilty pleas in and take whatever punishment I deserve."

Teesside Crown Court heard how Bielicki has a string of convictions for burglary going back to 1999.

He was arrested after raids in Middlesbrough last September and October and confessed to them.

Later, he asked police to take him in a ride around town and pointed out the scenes of other break-ins.

The court heard that he stole property worth around £10,000, including lap-top computers and jewellery.

His footprint was found at the scene of a raid at a student house in Middlesbrough town centre.

A drinks bottle recovered from a garden wall also contained Bielicki's DNA, said prosecutor Richard Wilson.

One of the occupiers of the house armed himself with a knife and challenged the intruder when he heard a noise.

Bielicki warned the householder not to do anything stupid, pushed past him and fled with his haul.

Judge Armstrong told Bielicki, of no fixed abode: "These are substantial burglaries and you have a bad record."