TWO homeless heroin users burgled the home of an elderly disabled man to get money for their next fix, a court heard.

The October break-in was the sixth time in three months that the victim had been burgled, leaving him terrified to be home alone.

Durham Crown Court heard that David Farn, 26, and 28-year-old Robert Newton took a DVD player and video recorder, worth £100 each, and the householder's pension book.

Andrew Findlay, prosecuting, said the victim returned to his home, in The Lawns, in Deneside, Seaham, County Durham, at about 11pm to discover the break-in.

Police found a small panel had been broken in the front door, which enabled one of the pair to reach through and gain entry.

Newton and Farn were arrested soon after, and said they were looking for somewhere to stay and thought the house was unoccupied.

On realising it was the home of an elderly disabled man, both expressed remorse.

Farn was on bail at the time for a break-in at a house in Wycliffe Road, Seaham, where he stole a coin meter containing £80.

The pair admitted burglary of The Lawns home.

Farn admitted the Wycliffe Road break-in and asked for five other offences to be considered. Newton asked for a further count of theft to be considered.

Alex Burns, in mitigation, said many houses near the elderly man's were boarded up and that the pair thought it was derelict. Farn was jailed for 21 months and Newton for 15 months.