A BURGLAR who broke into the homes of a young mother and her grandmother on the same night has vowed to give up crime after seeing the impact it has had on his victims.

Jason Biggin, 25, was jailed for two years and eight months for the double raid after a court heard he was desperate for money to feed his £100-a-day heroin addiction.

He broke into the first house – that of a friend in Lumley Street, Lotfus, east Cleveland – when he thought she was out for the night, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said the householder's grandmother, 74, was there babysitting, and was terrified when she woke to find Biggin emptying a television cash box.

Money boxes belonging to the children and containing just £3.70 were also raided before jobless Biggin and an accomplice fled with keys to the grandmother's home nearby.

From the bungalow, a trinket box holding £3 was taken and the cash box on her tv was emptied while items were strewn all over, Mr Hadfield told Judge Howard Crowson.

When he was arrested four days later on July 6, Biggin “said he felt bad about it, described himself in derogatory terms and said he was sorry for what he had done”, said Mr Hadfield.

Graham Brown, mitigating, said: “This case is a good illustration of the insidious consequences of drug dependency, leading to something for which he is immediately remorseful."

Biggin's young victim was in court to support him and brought along letters from herself and her grandmother which told how they forgave him despite their raid heartache.

Judge Crowson told Biggin, of Marske Road, Saltburn: “If you return to burglary or get involved again with Class A drugs, you can expect a much longer prison sentence next time.”