A 15-YEAR-OLD faces being locked up after a confrontation with a home owner.

The teenager got into the property in Parkside, Darlington, through an unlocked door with the intent to steal, the town's youth court heard yesterday.

Ciaran Grogan, prosecuting, said the local boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was disturbed by the householder at 3.50am, on September 5, last year.

"This man was in the bedroom and heard noises downstairs. He confronted the defendant in the front room," he said.

"He made a grab for him and the defendant ran out the house."

He said the teenager injured himself on a door frame, leaving a trail of blood on the carpet, which was used as DNA evidence.

Mr Grogan said the boy had not co-operated with the police and originally put in a not guilty plea to trespassing with intent to steal, which he changed to guilty yesterday.

Magistrates heard that the boy was already subject to a supervision order imposed in September for an offence of robbery.

They adjourned proceedings until January 28 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared, which will look at a custodial sentence.