A 30-year-old man has been warned to expect a lengthy jail sentence after burgling a disabled man’s home.

The crime, committed at Wagtail Close, Westwood Park, Wibsey, Bradford, made Nicholas Harron a “three strike” housebreaker liable to receive three years behind bars.

Harron, of Boltby Lane, Buttershaw, Bradford, pleaded guilty to burgling the man, at the sheltered complex for young disabled adults, on the day he was to stand trial at Bradford Crown Court. His victim, who is in a wheelchair, attended the court building yesterday to give evidence in the case.

Harron admitted burgling a flat at the complex between October 1 and 6 last year and stealing a safe and its contents.

His case was adjourned until May 2 for a report to be prepared by his doctor.

Harron’s barrister, Andrew Dallas, said the best he could hope for may be a sentence of 876 months imprisonment.

But Harron, who attended court on crutches, had medical problems that might create a plea of exceptional hardship to shorten the sentence. Harron’s co-accused, Rebecca Eyre, 25, also of Boltby Lane, denied dishonestly handling the stolen safe and contents.

Her plea was accepted by the Crown and she will be formally cleared of the charge at the next hearing.

The judge, Recorder Anthony Hawks, said Harron had pleaded guilty but he was almost certain to receive a significant custodial sentence.