A MECHANIC became a heroin addicted burglar after the breakdown of his marriage, a court was told.

Anthony Bruce, 25, lost all motivation after his father's friend introduced him to drugs as a way of coping with his problems.

Bruce was asleep in the house he had been burgling when he was arrested, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Sending him to jail for eight months, Assistant Recorder Robert Warnock said custody was the only possible course of action. Bruce, of Waddington Avenue, Burnley, admitted two thefts and burglary.

Miss Angelina Dennett, prosecuting, said the burglary victim's son, an acquaintance of Bruce, was asleep when he was disturbed by somebody in the room. He saw the defendant trying to get out of an open window with a television.

When challenged, Bruce sat down in a chair and almost immediately fell asleep. Police were called, a number of items were found to be missing and the defendant was found to have got in through a damaged back door.

When Bruce was interviewed, he said he had earlier visited the woman's son at home.

Miss Dennett said Bruce took a gold ring from a friend's home after he had left with the help of a nearby workman. The following day, he returned, was challenged about the missing ring, refused to leave and was again escorted out by the workman. A key and savings book were then noticed to be missing.

Nick Kennedy, defending, said Bruce had not offended until he was 23, but over the last two years there had been a "sad demise." It all started with the breakdown of his marriage. That led to him losing all sense of motivation and a deterioration in his lifestyle.

An acquaintance of his father introduced him to heroin and he had been involved in relatively minor crime until the house burglary. Both he and the son of the house were involved in drugs. After spending the evening there, Bruce had left and just could not remember what happened.

Mr Kennedy said Bruce, who had been in custody, intended to stay drug free.

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