A MAN who threatened a father-of-two with a knife during a burglary won a reduction in his sentence yesterday after judges heard he was on too strong a dose of medication at the time.

London's Appeal Court heard that Christopher Anderson, of Ridgeway, North Seaton, Ashington, Northumberland, suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a child, and was on Ritalin at the time of his offence.

In February last year, he broke into a four-bedroom house in his home town, wearing a mask and armed with a knife and screwdriver.

He was disturbed at about 2.30am by the householder, who had been asleep.

Confronting Anderson outside his room, the householder wrestled him to the ground and managed to take the knife off him, despite being cut in the process.

Anderson admitted aggravated burglary at Newcastle Crown Court and was given a five year sentence in a young offenders' institution.

Yesterday, two judges were told he was on two-and-a-half times the recommended amount of Ritalin at the time, and since coming off the drug, he was a changed man.

Mr Justice Mitchell, sitting with Mr Justice Collins at the Appeal Court, said the 20-year-old's sentence was too long.

He reduced it to four years, which means Anderson is still a long-term prisoner and will have to serve at least half his sentence before being considered for parole.