A drug addict who stole an elderly woman’s handbag from her flat to fund his habit has been jailed for two years.

Luke Darling sneaked the bag, containing his 84-year-old victim’s purse and bus pass, out of an open window at the complex for elderly people, Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday.

Three days later, Darling, 24, made off with a children’s PlayStation when he burgled their grandfather’s home, leaving a knife in the garden.

Darling, of New Fields Walk, Wapping, Bradford, pleaded guilty to two house burglaries, using the elderly woman’s bank card fraudulently and obstructing a police officer when he was arrested.

Prosecutor Dave MacKay said that Darling stole the handbag from the pensioner’s flat in Undercliffe, Bradford, on the evening of June 17.

She did not realise it was missing until the next morning. She was left very distressed and inconvenienced by the loss of her bank card and bus pass.

Darling got through an open window at the unoccupied house in Dalby Avenue, Fagley, on June 20 and stole the £250 PlayStation and a set of car keys.

Mr MacKay said the householder found a knife in his garden that Darling had left behind.

He was hiding in the loft at his grandparents’ home when the police arrived to arrest him on June 25.

He tried to run away, accidentally knocking his grandmother to the floor, and struggling with the officers.

Darling, who was on prison licence at the time, had nine previous convictions, including court appearances for house burglary and possession of an offensive weapon.

His barrister, Ken Green, said Darling’s offending was down to his misuse of drugs.

He was released from a prison sentence in January and determined to stay off drugs and make a fresh start.

He lived with his mother and managed to stay off illegal substances for five months. But then things went wrong for him and he was enticed back into taking drugs.

Mr Green said Darling was glad to be in custody where he could not get his hands on any drugs.

He was doing courses in jail to help him obtain the skills and education he needed to get a job when he is released.

Darling pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was very remorseful for his actions.

He told Judge Jonathan Rose that he wanted to live in a hostel when he is let out of jail so he can receive support in his efforts to stay drug free.

Speaking from the dock, Darling said this was the last time he would appear before a court.

Judge Rose told him he didn’t doubt his good intentions but only time would tell if he was able to put them into practice.