A BURGLAR who was cleared of setting fire to his victim's home to cover up his crime was was today branded "abhorrent" for targeting the disabled householder.

David McCabe had twice broken into the terraced property in North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, to steal belongings to sell so he could buy booze and heroin.

Teresa Ryan was found dead with smoke inhalation on her sofa an hour-and-half after returning from a meal with her two sons to celebrate her 50th birthday.

McCabe had been waiting for her to come back so he could steal her personal belongings – because he took the only other thing of value the previous day.

Teesside Crown Court heard he stole a television on July 8 last year and sold it to a friend for £25 and six heroin substitute pills – and overdosed on them.

After being released from hospital and in need of more drugs the next day, the 32-year-old hung around the house in Wharton Street, waiting for Miss Ryan to return.

Half an hour after following the Huntington's Disease sufferer into her home, he had fled with her handbag, cash, cigarettes and mobile phone, the court heard.

McCabe denied lighting a fire in a downstairs bed as he left, and a jury heard it could have been started accidentally by Miss Ryan with a discarded cigarette.

The jury acquitted him of murder and manslaughter, and he was yesterday jailed for five-and-a-half years after admitting the two burglary charges.

Miss Ryan's tearful family said outside of court that justice had not been done, while the officer in charge of the case described McCabe's crimes as abhorrent.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Jermy, of Cleveland Police, said: "The sentence today reflects the nature of those burglaries."

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, told McCabe: "You were prepared for a confrontation, driven as you were to fund your addiction to heroin and alcohol.

"You preyed on Teresa Ryan. She was at the very least intimidated by you if not fearful of you, and you knew that."

Miss Ryan's sister Carol Ryan said: "He will now serve a sentence for burglary which, we the family, feel is insufficient. We as a family have now to move on.

"He preyed on Teresa, taking advantage of her vulnerability. He lied from start to finish, only admitting certain aspects at the last minute when he had no option."

Det Chief Insp Jermy said: "The defendant has pleaded guilty to horrific burglaries in which he targeted Teresa, who was vulnerable, disabled and lived alone.

"As a result of these burglaries, stole property and money which he subsequently used to fund his drugs habit.

"The sentence today reflects the nature of those burglaries, and the abhorrent crime that was committed."

He added: "I think he was driven by his addiction to heroin and alcohol and lived his day-to-day life to fund that addiction.

"It is absolutely abhorrent that somebody could hand-pick a vulnerable disabled lady and systematically target her just to fund a drugs habit."

McCabe, of Barrington Crescent, Middlesbrough, had denied the second burglary until it could be proved Miss Ryan had her distinctive phone that night.

The judge said he had "persisted in steadfast terms" in his refusal to accept responsibility for being in the house so near to her death "for obvious reasons".