A BURGLAR who raided a house in Ipswich on New Year's Eve while the owner was out has been jailed for 18 months.

A BURGLAR who raided a house in Ipswich on New Year's Eve while the owner was out has been jailed for 18 months.

When the owner of the semi-detached house in Playford Road returned home on New Year's Day he discovered that drawers and cupboards had been searched and a number of items including cufflinks and a signet ring, which were both of sentimental value, had been stolen, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Before the court was Michael Smith, 36, of Ladywood Road, Ipswich who admitted burglary, possession of a small amount of heroin, two offences of interfering with cars and theft from a car.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting said that some days after the burglary a member of the public saw Smith acting suspiciously and contacted the police.

Smith was detained and when officers searched his home they found some of the items stolen during the burglary in Playford Road including the cufflinks.

The signet ring was later recovered from a pawn shop in the town, said Mr Crimp.

The court heard that Smith had also broken into a car belonging to a Radio Suffolk news editor and had stolen a voice recorder.

When the voice recorder was recovered it was discovered that Smith had attempted to scratch the letters BBC off it.

Roger Thomson for Smith said he had committed offences to fund his Class A drug habit.

He had committed the New Year's Eve burglary after taking a cocktail of drugs and alcohol and had very little memory of it.

“He is keen to come off drugs,” said Mr Thomson