AN escaped prisoner who raided a house to the tune of more than £7,000 and caused £1,500 damage in the process, is awaiting sentence.

Burnley Crown Court heard how former heroin addict Lee Koumis, 26, was on the run from Kirkham jail when he broke into the property on Sabden Road, Higham, in May 1996.

He was traced by his fingerprints and it was found the defendant had escaped from prison on April 28 and was at large until May 12 1996.

When he was later arrested and interviewed, he told police he was probably responsible for the burglary and probably sold the haul, but he could not remember much about it, as he was taking heroin at the time. Koumis, who lives in Liverpool, earlier admitted burglary at Burnley magistrates court and had been committed for sentence. Assistant Recorder David Hernandez adjourned the case until June 9 to make inquiries to see if Koumis would be suitable for community service.

The defendant was remanded on bail.

Paul Hague, defending, said Koumis had been in care from the age of two to 16, had effectively been abandoned and developed a drug habit when he left care. He had never had a job, but had been in rehabilitation and now spent much of his time at the Liverpool drug-free gymnasium. Mr Hague said if the defendant stayed drug free, the rehabilitation centre had said he could take up voluntary work counselling in two months. A custodial sentence would put him back to where he was before.