Four Canterbury students returned from a Christmas break and were alarmed to find their home had been burgled - and a knife left behind, a court heard.

Drug addict Richard Barham was originally charged with aggravated burglary, but his plea to burglary and possessing a bladed article was accepted.

The 31-year-old heroin and crack cocaine user, who has amassed 30 convictions for 50 offences, also burgled another home in the city and received stolen goods.

The “three strikes” burglar, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years and three months when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Serena Gates said the students left the rented house in Mead Way secure when they went away on December 20 last year.

They returned to discover two televisions, two PlayStations and a bicycle had been stolen, worth a total of about £700.

The intruder had entered by an upstairs window and forced open two bedroom doors. The knife was left on a sofa.

DNA from the blade and shoe prints were matched to Barham.

Barham also broke into a ground floor basement flat in Becketts Avenue, Canterbury, on January 14.

Miss Gates said the bottom half of a stable door was smashed in to allow entry. Jewellery and games equipment were stolen.

Barham was seen to enter a house nearby. He put a guitar case containing the stolen items behind a freezer in the kitchen.

He was charged with handling stolen goods from another burglary after police stopped a car and found jewellery in the boot.

Fiona Ryan, defending, said the father-of-three had been addicted to drugs since the age of 14. Since being in custody for six months he was clean of drugs.

“He didn’t have a happy childhood,” said Miss Ryan. “He didn’t go to school. He started using drugs at a young age.

“He wants to offer his apologies to his victims. It was genuine and spontaneous remorse.”

Barham was jailed for three years for the burglary and handling offences and consecutive sentences of two months for having the knife and one month for breaching a suspended sentence.

Judge Michael Carroll said had the knife offence been committed after July 17 this year the minimum sentence under new laws would have been six months.