A BURGLAR who raided the home of his dead neighbour has been jailed for three years.

A judge told Craig Fairweather that his crime was "a nasty offence" and said: "You know you have to go to prison."

Fairweather, 28, from Billingham, Teesside, was also sentenced yesterday for affray and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

Teesside Crown Court was told how shoppers looked on in horror as he threatened a man with a knife and fled through a market waving the weapon. He was arrested by police using batons to knock him to the ground.

He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years for the burglary and a further six months for the public order offences in Billingham town centre, which happened a few days later.

The court heard how he broke into the home of his neighbours in Hereford Terrace, between February 12 and 15, knowing the man had died and his wife was in hospital with cancer.

The haul included a lawnmower, washing basket and documents the couple had been compiling for Cleveland Police about his activities.

But Fairweather was reported to the police by his mother when she was told by his girlfriend that their flat was full of property which did not belong to them.

John Gillette, prosecuting, said officers found Fairweather on February 14 when he was threatening a man with a knife in Billingham's Town Square.

Peter Sabiston, mitigating, said Fairweather, of Lomond Avenue, had made "great progress" while on remand awaiting trial.