A heroin addict who burgled two homes while the residents were asleep has been locked up for a total of three years and three months.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday how drug user David Howe was already the subject of a community rehabilitation order for breaking into another home while it was occupied, when he committed the latest offences.

Judge Linda Sutcliffe told the 20-year-old that she had considered making him a long-term prisoner by passing a sentence of more than four years, but had been persuaded to draw back from doing so.

Howe, of Bank Street, Cleckheaton, was put on the 12-month rehabilitation order in October last year, but in February he was caught by officers after he had broken into the Wood Decor Centre in Batley.

He was arrested after a violent struggle and gave a false name to the officers who later interviewed him.

Prosecutor Nikki Peers said it was after being granted bail for that burglary that Howe went on to carry out two similar night-time break-ins at homes in Scholes and Cleckheaton in April and May.

When he was later questioned by police, Howe admitted selling more than £3,000 worth of property from the Scholes burglary to buy drugs.

During the Cleckheaton break-in he stole the keys to the householders' van and drove off in it. The van was later found abandoned.

Howe pleaded guilty to three offences of burglary, two of resisting police officers and two of obstructing police officers. He also admitted breaching the community rehabilitation order and asked for a further matter of theft to be taken into consideration.

Barrister Stuart Roberts, for Howe, said his client was capable of keeping off drugs and working, but he conceded that he had gone back to his old associations and his use of drugs.

He stressed, however, that it was Howe who volunteered the two house burglary offences to the police when they came to question him about an unrelated matter.

"These offences were committed while he was in the grip of a serious heroin addiction and committed to obtain money to fund that addiction, "he said.

Judge Sutcliffe ordered Howe to serve his sentence in a young offender institution and banned him from driving for 12 months.