A HOMELESS heroin addict who stole from his own family to fund his drug habit has been sent to prison.

Paul Bruce, 23, of no fixed address, was sentenced to nine months behind bars at Swindon Magistrates' Court yesterday after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary.

The court heard how Bruce entered his parents' four-bedroom house in Kirktonhill Road, Westlea, and stole a new pair of Nike trainers belonging to his brother James and tobacco worth £200.

Three days later he broke into an address in Stoneybrook Close, stealing 18 DVDs worth more than £300. Bruce, who has a history of offences, was sentenced to six months in jail for the two burglaries.

Three months from two previous suspended sentences were also activated giving him a total of nine months in jail.

The prosecution said Bruce's parents had known their son had been a heroin addict for the past four or five years and three days before the offence, he was told he was not welcome at the house if they were not there.

But he used a key to get in on April 21. His parents came home to find someone had been in the house.

When they checked their bedroom a wardrobe had been left open and a cardboard box with trainers belonging to their other son James had disappeared.

Tobacco had also been taken.

His defence said Bruce wanted to kick his drug habit, which the police described as raging'.