A HEROIN addict who burgled the homes of his mother and sister has spent most of the last eight months behind bars since the joint offence.

In his desperation to fund his addiction, Daniel Robinson entered the properties while both were away from home, at about 10am on February 20.

Durham Crown Court heard Robinson, who was not welcome at his sister’s address, smashed a downstairs window and searched all rooms, before moving onto his mother’s home.

Nicholas Rooke, prosecuting, said Robinson’s sister returned home shortly before mid-day to discover the break-in had taken place.

She had seen her brother earlier, supposedly coming to visit his mother.

When both the mother and sister checked, they discovered a large amount of electrical goods, cash and expensive items of jewellery, some with great sentimental value, were missing.

Mr Rooke said although the value of some was not known, the other items tallied about £2,500.

It emerged someone had tried to sell several pieces of jewellery at a pawnbroker’s shop in Peterlee.

When arrested and interviewed several days later, Robinson denied responsibility, but inaccuracies surfaced as he tried to account for dna, footprint and other evidence.

Finally, however, 33-year-old Robinson, formerly of Toft Crescent, Murton, but, since his recent release from custody, now living in a hostel in Stockton, admitted burglary. at a plea hearing in the case.

Neil Bennett, mitigating, said days after the break-in, Robinson, who had relapsed into a heroin addiction earlier this year, was recalled to prison after being found with a folding lock knife in his pocket in a Murton bank.

He was jailed for 150 days for the knife possession, but was also re-admitted to prison to serve the unserved part of a previous 32-month sentence for attempted robbery, dating from March 2015.

Recorder Timothy Roberts QC, who described the intrusion into family members’ homes, “despicable”, said, given the time Robinson has spent behind bars since the offence, he could suspend the inevitable prison sentence, “as an act of mercy” to help him try to rid himself of his addiction.

He imposed a nine-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, during which Robinson will be subject to probation supervision.

Restraining orders were put in place preventing the defendant from contacting or visiting either his sister or mother for five years.