A DRUG addict burgled his friend who suffers from epilepsy, making his condition much worse because of the stress of his ordeal.

Robert Sutton raided the home of his friend at Philipscote in Evesham, stealing a PlayStation and CCTV system but left his blood at the scene.

The sample was put through the DNA database by police and Sutton was a match.

At the time Sutton was in HMP Hewell for an unrelated matter.

The 30-year-old of no fixed abode had already been convicted of the burglary at magistrates court when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced.

Paul Whitfield, prosecuting, said the value of the items taken from the groundfloor flat was placed at £390.

The burglary happened while the occupier, who was not named in court, was out of the flat between October 20 and 21 last year.

The man returned home at around 1.30pm on October 21 to discover the break-in.

Paul Whitfield, prosecuting, said: "The premises he targeted were those of a friend.

"Knowing what his friend had, he took the opportunity to enter his premises when his friend wasn't there."

Mr Whitfield said Sutton sold the stolen items to 'fuel his drug addiction' and summarised the owner/occupier's victim personal statement to the court.

"He said it had a massive effect upon himself and his two children. He suffers from epilepsy and his condition has worsened since this incident.

"The stress and anxiety brings on the attacks. It has not only affected his medical condition but his confidence. His own home is not a place he feels is safe and secure."

The man said in his statement: "I'm scared it could happen again."

Before this offence Sutton had 29 convictions for 79 offences though no previous matters of house burglary on his record.

"He appears in the main to be a prolific shoplifter," Mr Whitfield said.

Jason Aris, defending, said: "The pre-sentence report is quite an insightful one. It does make rather depressing reading but what can be said is this: At long last, at the age of 30, you have a defendant who has shown some real insight into the difficulties he faces with his entrenched drug problem.

"This is a man who says the best place for him at this precise moment in time is custody so he can combat this problem that has ruined his life."

He described his client as very articulate and very intelligent.

Sutton is qualified as a landscape gardener and has a forklift truck licence but struggled to get work because his record was 'so awful' and it made him 'an unattractive prospect' for employers, Mr Aris told the court.

He added: "It's clear what he wants to do is draw a line under his past."

Recorder Allan Mainds said: "You have had numerous lectures from people sitting in my position and in the magistrates court and you have taken not a blind bit of notice.

"This was someone you knew was vulnerable and has suffered since the date of this offence."

The judge jailed him for eight months and told him to put his mind to sorting out his life so he could stop being 'the bane of these courts'.