A BURGLAR who raided his sister’s home and stole from a friend on Christmas Day is starting a three-year prison sentence.

Anthony Hall – who has nearly 120 offences on his record – was told by a judge that his latest crimes were “exceptionally mean”.

Hall boasted to a friend in a text message straight after the break-in at his sister Hannah’s home: “I’m red hot with some serious good graft.”

He took a games console, games, an MP3 player and a laptop computer from the house in Marshall Street, Darlington, last September.

On bail three months later, he was taken in by Don Piggford after being kicked out of his home over the festive season.

Mr Piggford left his house in Vane Road, Newton Aycliffe, to have Christmas lunch, and returned later to find £2,000 worth of belongings stolen.

Philip Morgan, in mitigation, told Teesside Crown Court that the 32-year-old needed money as he and his partner were expecting a child.

The judge, Recorder Felicity Davies, jailed Hall, of John Street, Shildon, for three years and four months after he admitted burglary and theft.

She told him: “The most significant factor is the victim was your sister and you went in through an insecure door knowing she was out.

“What makes the second offence so unpleasant is it was committed on Christmas Day. The victim was a man who took you in.”

The court heard that among the offences on Hall’s record are two for burgling his father’s home in Newton Aycliffe in 2003 and 2006.

Mr Morgan said Hall had overcome a serious drug addiction and had stayed out of trouble since his last prison sentence for burglary in 2009.

He told the court that the new father had returned the games console and games and given his sister money towards replacing the stolen laptop.

“They have patched up their differences.” said Mr Morgan.

“He knows that he will not be around for his son for the next couple of years.”