An elderly Witham couple woke up to noises in the middle of the night and found their home had been burgled.

Nothing was taken from the couple's home but Chelmsford Crown Court heard how £600 worth of damage was caused during the break-in on February 14.

Terence Morgan, 25, of Munro Road, Witham, admitted the burglary and another burglary when he appeared in court for sentence.

He also admitted a charge of going equipped for theft and was jailed for a total of two years.

Judge Ben Pearson told him it must have been a terrifying experience for the couple.

"Your conduct that night will live with these people for many years to come. It's clear your substance abuse is very much the root cause of your offending," the judge told Morgan.

The court heard that on the same night as the burglary in Church Street, Witham, Morgan broke into another house in the same street and stole some cigarettes.

Police searched the area and Morgan was arrested in nearby Milton Road. He was found with a torch, two screwdrivers and a pair of gloves, said Rowland Hardy, prosecuting.

Martin Scott, mitigating, said the offences had been carried out against a background of drug abuse.

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