A drunken burglar, who became an alcoholic after seeing his uncle stabbed to death by his cousin, has been jailed for nine months.

Daniel Ellerton, 23, pleaded guilty to a joint burglary at the house of a woman his co-defendant, Peter Charlwood, had met at a nightclub the previous night.

Bradford Crown Court was today told that both defendants were alcoholics and were intoxicated at the time of the offence.

Ellerton’s solicitor Kam Dhesi told the court: “He witnessed his uncle being stabbed by a close relative. He ran in front of a bus in an attempt to end his own life. His drinking has stemmed largely from that incident. It was a very significant incident in any person’s life.”

His cousin, Martin Ellerton, then 17, was locked up indefinitely for public protection in April, 2008, after stabbing his father Peter, 41, in the stomach with a kitchen knife in a garden at Sage Street, Canterbury, Bradford.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Mr Dhesi said Daniel Ellerton, of Powell Avenue, Canterbury, accepted being heavily intoxicated at the time of the burglary. He had a long-standing drink problem, had been diagnosed with ulcers which needed operating on, and was in significant daily pain.

Prosecutor Stephanie Hancock said the burglary victim had refused entry to her home in Ward Street, Great Horton, to Charlwood and two others in the early hours of March 20 after sharing a taxi from the night out.

That afternoon the defendants kicked in her door, smashing the lock, searched the bedroom and stole ten DVDs. The householder was out but a woman friend was asleep upstairs and was woken by the noise and saw the defendants running out of the house.

Miss Hancock said the defendants tried to sell the DVDs at a nearby takeaway, but bumped into the woman. They were arrested soon after, both in drink and the property was recovered.

Ellerton and Charlwood, 22, of Exe Street, Canterbury, had previous convictions but none for burglary.

Antony Farrell, for Charlwood, said his client, who pleaded guilty to burglary, had been addicted to alcohol since he was 15 and consumed massive amounts.

Judge James Goss QC, jailing the men for nine months, said it was a “nasty, mean and boorish” offence, in which they had invaded the woman’s property.

He added: “Both of you have problems with alcohol. You are clearly alcoholics. When you take alcohol you commit crimes.”