A DRUG addict who stripped out his mother's flat to pay for heroin has been warned by a judge to be "the perfect guest" after he was released from jail to live with his brother.

Maria Rudzinska returned to Bradford from an eight day trip to Poland to discover that her son, Mateusz, had sold her fridge freezer, microwave oven, bed, three piece suite and television set.

Even her clothing, curtains, plates and cutlery were gone, along with a valuable tapestry, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Rudzinski, 26, pleaded guilty to stealing the property, worth £2,000, from the address in North Wing, between June 19 and 27.

He was brought to court from custody after failing to keep an appointment with his probation officer and turning up late to court on the last occasion.

Rudzinski, now of Daisy Street, Bradford, was living with his mother at the time and trusted to look after her possessions while she was away, prosecutor Paul Nicholson told the court.

His brother told him to stop selling off her things but Rudzinski insisted his mother had instructed him to empty out the flat.

He used the money to pay for heroin and ordered his mother not to tell the police.

Mr Nicholson said the items were sold off locally and some were recovered, including the tapestry.

Rudzinski had previous convictions for theft, including shoplifting.

His solicitor advocate, Ash Mahmood, said: "His mother let him know in no uncertain terms what she thought of him."

Rudzinski, who was initially out on bail, had manage to retrieve many of the items.

He had been behind bars for five weeks and had not touched illegal drugs in that time.

"His family simply want him to get help for his addiction to Class A drugs, and that includes his mother," Mr Mahmood said.

Judge Colin Burn told Rudzinski: "That was a really mean thing that you did to your mother, having sold the contents of her home while she was away for just eight days."

Mrs Rudzinska would have been caused great distress knowing that even the recovered property had been through other hands.

"This is an offence that has struck at the heart of your family," Judge Burn said.

"Only now is there a chance that a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement might have some chance of success. It is a turning point if you want to make it a turning point."

Rudzinski was sentenced to a 12 month community order with a three month curfew and a nine month Drug Rehabilitation Requirement.

When told he was living at his brother's address, Judge Burn said: "You must make sure you are the perfect guest."