A 35-YEAR-OLD man who burgled a string of Darlington houses to fund his drug addiction was jailed for almost six years yesterday.

Appearing at Teesside Crown Court, Edward Gill, of no fixed address, admitted four counts of burglary, one of handling stolen goods, one of attempting to pervert the course of justice, and asked for four further charges of burglary to be taken into consideration.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, told the court how Gill broke into a house in Cleveland Avenue on February 4 and stole goods worth £7,634.

Mr Dryden said Gill then targeted a house in the town's Grange Road where, after breaking in, he took jewellery worth £370.

On February 7, Gill had been questioned by police in relation to handling stolen goods and was bailed to appear in court, but had failed to turn up.

While out on bail, he broke into a house in Darlington's Greenmount Avenue, where he stole items valued at £6,755, and caused £3,400 worth of damage to a sofa and chairs by stubbing cigarettes out on them.

The next home he burgled, the court heard, was in Blackwell Lane, from which he stole £3,380 worth of goods.

When questioned by police, he admitted the offences, which he said he had carried out to pay for his crack cocaine addiction, which was costing him £200 a day

While under arrest, the court heard, he had also attempted to get a message to his girlfriend to ask her to remove any incriminating property.

Dan Cordey, in mitigation, said that Gill realised he had to change his ways or face becoming institutionalised.

Sentencing Gill to five years in prison, Judge Tony Briggs also ordered him to first serve 340 days from a previous sentence.