A HEROIN addict burgled his own sister’s home, taking what was to be his niece’s main Christmas present, a court heard.

Three strikes burglar Colin John Tallentire knew his sister was away from home when he targeted it, on Friday November 7.

He used her house keys to gain entry and remove the new packaged iPhone5, worth £450.

Durham Crown Court heard that when the woman returned to the property, in South Church, Bishop Auckland, she became aware the phone was missing.

Kate Dodds, prosecuting, said the single mother-of-three had taken out a contract for the phone, having paid £200 up front, and must now meet further £40 monthly repayments.

Miss Dodds said “immediate suspicions” focused on her brother, a long-standing heroin addict, as the likely offender.

When he was located and arrested two days later he was obviously he was under the influence of drugs, as he had a syringe in one hand at the time.

His mobile phone was seized and it contained a recent message offering a “brand new iPhone” for sale.

He admitted having taken the keys when his sister visited his mother’s house, where he was staying at the time, after they went out to see a neighbour.

Tallentire cycled to his sister’s house, entered and took the phone, before returning the keys to his mother’s home.

Miss Dodds read from the victim statement in which she spoke of her fright on realising an intruder had been into her home.

But when there was no sign of a forced entry she suspected her brother may have been responsible.

“She said she almost hoped it was him, as it wouldn’t have been a total stranger.”

But the statement added: “If I could have got my hands on him at the time I wouldn’t have been responsible for what I would have done to him.”

She said it has “devastated” her family, particularly her 11-year-old daughter, as the phone was her most expensive present, which she is no longer going to receive, as her mother will not be able to replace it, added Miss Dodds.

Thirty-two-year-old Tallentire, of Cheltenham Court, St Helen Auckland, admitted burglary.

The court heard he has three previous house burglary convictions, although much of his offending was in his late teens.

Chris Morrison, mitigating, told the court: “He says he’s sorry and clearly acknowledges it was a mean offence.

“He’s thoroughly disgusted and ashamed of himself for what he did.

“He wants to apologise not only to his sister, but also to his niece.

“He’s sadly deprived her of her Christmas present by this drug-fuelled offence.”

Mr Morrison said Tallentire aims to take steps to rid himself of his addiction while behind bars.

Judge Robert Adams told Tallentire: “You’re a hopeless drug addict, addicted to heroin and amphetamines, and have spent the last few years in and out of prison.

“You know your behaviour was disgraceful, particularly mean because it was against your family members.”

He imposed a prison sentence of two years and almost five months.