A HOMEOWNER returned to his flat to discover a drug addict hiding behind his door 'frothing at the mouth' and carrying items he had taken from inside.

Charles Awere, of Bardwell Road, Oxford, had already admitted the single count of burglary.

Oxford Crown Court heard at his sentencing on Friday how the 44-year old had a long-standing addiction to drugs and at the time of the offence on August 30 he had been deep in the throes of his addiction.

The court heard that when he had crept into the house of multiple occupancy at Cowley Road, Oxford, he had one goal in mind - to steal items to buy drugs.

His efforts were in vain, however, when one of the building's residents returned home to find his door was locked.

Prosecutor Cathy Oliver said that he found this suspicious as he hadn't locked the door and when he opened it it became 'stuck'.

This was because Awere was cowering behind the door 'with unfocused eyes and white flecks at his mouth as if he had been frothing' she said.

He fled the scene and jumped a wall in a bid to escape before dropping items and being chased up Divinity Road. An eyewitness and CCTV footage from a nearby Co Op helped identify the burglar and police arrested him.

In his failed burglary bid Awere had tried to steal a coat and a bag which contained a mixing deck from one of the other occupants of the house.

In mitigation, his defence team said that he had been quick to admit the offence and that he was committed to tackling his long standing addiction to drugs.

Jailing him, Judge Maria Lamb said: "I hope you can use that time in prison to to rid yourself of that drug problem.

"And you must try your very best to rid yourself of this problem if not for yourself but for your family."

Awere was jailed for 876 days - or 2 years and months in light of his previous offences for similar burglaries.