A THIEF sneaked into his friend’s flat and made off with his TV and a haul of frozen food after returning drunk from a night out.

Scott Parish, of Newlands Avenue, Breightmet, had been living in a flat in Gaskell House, Halliwell, and was in the process of being evicted when the burglary happened.

Several days later he also entered his former flat and smashed up the cooker with a hammer.

Bolton Crown Court heard that in May, 2018 a neighbour had offered to let Parish stay in his flat.

However, a few weeks before the break-in, Parish’s neighbour’s bathroom window had been broken and boarded up.

On May 4 the neighbour went to stay with his girlfriend, leaving the flat unoccupied.

While he was away, Parish returned from a night of drinking and was unable to get into his own flat.

Parish then climbed into the neighbour’s flat through the broken window and stole a television and food from the freezer before fleeing. Prosecuting, David Farley said: “The neighbour came home to find the door open when it should not have been. He also saw that the first-floor bathroom window board had been taken.

“He went into the living room to find that the TV and all of the food from out of the freezer had been taken.

“The neighbour also found bloodstains on the side of the bath.”

DNA tests later revealed that the blood belonged to Parish.

Several days later Parish returned to his own flat and carried out an estimated £1,000 worth damage to the kitchen using a hammer.

Mr Farley said: “Another neighbour, knowing that the flat had been vacated, heard sounds and went to investigate.

“He saw that the cooker and hob had been smashed up with a hammer.”

Following the discovery the neighbour called the police and the landlord also attended.

Parish was seen walking down the road near to Gaskell House by a police officer, bleeding and without a top on, and was arrested.

The hammer he had used was later found discarded by an electricity box outside the building.

At an earlier court hearing Parish pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage.

Defending, Kevin Liston, said Parish “had had a troubled time. He was doing crack cocaine and other drugs, and was also drinking alcohol, and it had, for a period, rendered him homeless”.

Mr Liston added: “He had gone out on a night out, he had got drunk, and could not access his own apartment.

“Taking advantage of his good neighbour, he entered his neighbour’s flat through a window, took his television and took food that was not his.”

Parish was given a 26 weeks suspended prison sentence, with a 25-day rehabilitation requirement, with a curfew and have to wear an electronic tag.

Addressing Parish, judge Martin Walsh said: “You took an opportunity to enter a friend’s apartment while he was away and the television was taken and some food was stolen.

“And having been in the process of eviction you caused damage of around £1,000 to a flat in which you had previously been living.”