A ‘THIRD strike’ house raider caught out after leaving his blood is behind bars for 876 days.

Burnley Crown Court was told how Nadeem Mohammed, 35, had got into the property in Nelson by smashing a rear window while the householder was in hospital.

Mohammed, who had been taking cocaine for days before he struck, had tried to move the victim’s possessions around.

He denied any part in it to the police. The defendant, of Perth Street, Nelson, had admitted burglary. He has 40 offences on his record and has served time before.

The court was told items had been moved around the house. Mohammed was questioned by police and denied any knowledge of the burglary. He claimed he had not been in the house and was not responsible.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Woolman told Mohammed: “You denied it in interview and you denied it before you came to court. You have quite a bad record.”