A BURGLAR who stole a mobility car after breaking into a couple's home in the dead of night as they slept has been branded "sick" and "despicable" by a judge.

Lee Rubery, 43, a lifelong heroin addict, claimed to have no recollection of the burglary, due to his drugs problem, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

But jailing him for four and a half years, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Rubery: "You caused devastation and heartbreak - and all because you wanted to put that couple's money into the hands of some drug dealer so you could put drugs inside you."

Prosecutor Robert Galley told the court that Rubery broke into a house in Leaventhorpe Lane, Thornton, Bradford, at 5am on August 2 last year and stole a handbag with its contents, car keys and cash. He then stole the couple's two cars, a BMW and a £20,000 Ford Max mobility car.

The defendant was captured on CCTV.

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Rubery's solicitor advocate, Ashok Khullar, told the court his client had no recollection of the offence because of his use of drugs.

Mr Khullar said: "He has struggled with a lifelong addiction to heroin, which is reflected in his past criminal record.

"After his release from prison in 2002 he was determined to address his addiction, and did do that for seven years."

Mr Khullar said his client had worked as a painter and decorator. But things started to go wrong when his mother died. He was dismissed from his job, lost his accommodation and his relationship broke up. He returned to the Bradford area where he relapsed into drug use.

Mr Khullar added: "He was in a desperate situation. He is ashamed of himself."

Judge Durham Hall asked: "What is the mitigation for going into these people's home and stealing a mobility vehicle in the dead of night when they are asleep?"

Rubery, of Thorn Street, Girlington, Bradford, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft.

The judge told him: "You say you are very sorry you did this while on drugs.

"You clearly have a problem with drugs, for some reason, and you clearly commit offences to fund that despicable habit.

"What you did on this occasion was particularly despicable. It was sick.

"That lady needed a mobility car. You went in and took irreplaceable property, high value property, and both their cars, one of them a high value mobility car which was not recovered, causing devastation and heartbreak.

"It was completely unacceptable. This early hours, night-time burglary, on an occupied house, is clearly in the highest category of offence.

"You were equipped, you stole high value property and it had a massive personal impact. This family must have been heartbroken.

"I take the view there is no mitigation, other than your late plea of guilty."

Judge Durham Hall sentenced Rubery to three months, concurrent, for failing to surrender to bail.