A man made himself “at home” in a former friend’s house twice in the same day when the new occupier was out, a court heard.

In both cases, the resident returned to his home in Tow Law to find Adam Ben Orpen lying on a bed and watching television.

Durham Crown Court was told Orpen had been friendly with the previous occupant and was familiar with the property.

The latest resident, a 70-year-old man, left the house, closing the door, but leaving it unlocked, at 4pm on May 14.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Calum McNicholas, prosecuting, said on his return an hour later he found Orpen sitting on a bed in the living room, eating and watching tv.

He told Orpen to leave, which he did, but afterwards he discovered £40 was missing from the tv stand, while the defendant had left a bottle of wine three-quarters empty.

Mr McNicholas said the victim went out again at 5.30pm, this time locking the door, returning at 9pm and again found the defendant lying on the bed in the living room.

He told him, again, to leave, which Orpen did, saying he gained entry this time via the back door.

The defendant left alcohol, a bread knife and two folded pocket knives, which he had taken to the property, on the bed.

On checking, the resident also found knives belonging to himself on the bedroom floor, having been moved, while the arm to a sofa was damaged.

Mr McNicholas said the victim did not know Orpen but recognised him as someone he had seen in the local area.

The defendant was arrested the following day on suspicion of burglary and provided a written statement for police claiming he was not responsible as he knew the victim and had left items at the property which he merely went to retrieve.

He said the second time he merely went to the house, “to chill”, claiming he did not steal anything from the address as the money taken earlier, effectively, belonged to him, as the previous occupant would have wanted him to have it.

Orpen confirmed the pocket knives found there belonged to himself.

In an impact statement the victim said the incidents had, “really concerned” him and he was worried what the intruder’s intention was, given the presence and movement of the knives found on the bed and bedroom floor.

He said it was chilling thinking that the defendant could have grabbed a knife and threatened him when he challenged him, asking him to leave.

It was also worrying him as he lived alone and he feared that the defendant might return.

The 37-year-old defendant, of Coronation Avenue, Tow Law, admitted a charge of burglary at a previous hearing at the court.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Mr McNicholas told the sentencing hearing the defendant’s 22 past offences featured nothing of a similar nature, although he was since received a caution for a house burglary.

Reece Williams, for Orpen, said the defendant has neuro-diverse difficulties.

He said he claimed to have had no intention of causing any harm, but he was at the property as he knew the previous occupant, who was a close friend.

“He finds himself something of a social pariah in the Tow Law area and the house previously belonged to his only friend in that area, as he has no family connections there.

“He knows he shouldn’t have been there.

“He does accept his friend had died, but he maintains he went there exclusively to retrieve belongings.

“He took the money and believed it was left behind by his late friend who would have wanted him to have it, as where it was, was where money would have been when his friend used to live there.

“When challenged, he did leave immediately on both occasions.

“There wasn’t a significant degree of planning or any organising.

“Regarding the knives, they had sentimental value to him, having belonged to his late grandfather, but he was sorry for being caught with them at the property and having taken them with him.”

Mr Williams said the defendant has had his first experience in prison while on remand and has found it traumatic and something of, “a wake-up call”, as it’s somewhere he does not want to find himself in future.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Judge Jo Kidd told Orpen he began appearing regularly before the courts in 2022 and 2023 for offences of a more minor nature and at the time of this offence was subject to a community order.

But she said his compliance to community orders has been poor, according to the Probation Service.

She said it was “profoundly worrying” that not only did he take his own knives to the address, but that he moved other knives around in that property.

“I accept you have issues with learning and a number of mental health disorders, autism and personality disorder, made worse by your use of alcohol and cannabis.

“In the last two years your behaviour seems to have spiralled out of control.

“You present as someone posing a significant risk of serious harm to the public, despite all the efforts of the Probation Service.”

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Imposing a two-year prison sentence, Judge Kidd said she would be failing in her duty to public safety if she did not make it an immediate term of custody.

She also made Orpen subject of an indefinite restraining order.

It prohibits him from approaching or contacting the victim "until further order".