A DISABLED man has admitted handling stolen goods after selling a television stolen from a fellow care home resident’s bedroom.

Terry David Armstrong sold the Bush 19 inch TV with internal DVD player to buy drugs, magistrates in Newton Aycliffe were told.

Armstrong, 33, was living at St Helen's Care Home in St Helen Auckland last July when the TV worth £170 was stolen from another resident’s room, prosecutor Lorraine Cooper said.

Staff at the care home saw Armstrong leaving the residence with the TV on July 30, the court heard.

Armstrong told police that he had stayed up all night taking amphetamine with a friend.

Ms Cooper said Armstrong’s friend left his room for a few minutes only to return with the TV, which had been taken from another resident’s room.

The prosecutor said Armstrong was asked to sell the TV so his friend could buy £20 worth of drugs.

Ben Pegman in mitigation said Armstrong, who relies on a motorised wheel chair to get around, has been suffering a range of medical conditions after sustaining serious injuries in a “catastrophic” accident in 2010.

Mr Pegman said it was extremely unlikely that Armstrong, who now lives at a care home on Brunel Terrace in Newcastle, would reoffend due to his condition.

Magistrates gave Armstrong a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £170 compensation and £50 court costs.