Burglar used washing-line prop to break into West Yorkshire house then used stolen card to buy Greggs breakfast

Paul Gelder stole £2,500 worth of items from the property on Lumley Street, Castleford, in the early hours of July 7 while the occupants slept upstairs.

The 34-year-old took laptops, games consoles and bank cards - one of which he used to pay for his food shortly after leaving the property.

Louise Gallagher, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court how Gelder gained access to the house by standing on a planter in the back garden and reaching through an open window, managing to turn the key to the patio door with the prop.

His fingerprints were found at the scene, and also at the scene of a shed burglary in Armley in Leeds 11 days before.

When he was arrested he was also found to be in possession of the heroin substitute, methadone.

Gelder, of Ramsden Street, Castleford, admitted two counts of burglary and one of possession of a Class A drug.

The court was told that he had 24 convictions from 54 offences dating back to 2006, including burglary, drugs and assault.

James Littlehales, mitigating, said: "The background to this comes as no surprise that it's drug related.

"He was previously addicted to heroin and had managed to get himself on a methadone prescription.

"There's a gap between 2015 and 2019 where no offending occurred and the reason he has relapsed is because he moved from Leeds to Castleford and his prescription for methadone was stopped.

"The methadone he was arrested with was bought off the street. He was financing his methadone by way of these offences.

"All were spur of the moment and none were pre-planned."

The offence was his third dwelling burglary since 2006, and under a ''three-strike rule' means he must serve a minimum three years.

Judge Robin Mairs jailed Gelder for three years and eight months.