Addict stole from sister who had helped him

A MAN who burgled his sister’s house just hours after she helped him when he turned up to her house soaking wet and with no money has been jailed.

A judge said Raymond James Smith had taken advantage of his sibling’s good nature and labelled the burglary “mean”.

At around 4am on December 12 he went to her house on Islwyn Road, Swansea. Smith was described as being “soaking wet and barely able to stand” when he arrived, and told his sister he had fallen off his bicycle.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said Smith’s sister gave him cigarettes and a dry coat, and called him a taxi.

Later that morning he twice returned to the house when his sister was at work – on one occasion being seen “on all fours” outside the property.

Smith’s sister later realised her iPad tablet computer, two mobile phones and some medication were missing.

That afternoon police went to a house in nearby Granogwen Road “which Smith was known to frequent” where they found the defendant and the stolen items. He said he intended to sell his sister’s property. The court heard he has been a heroin addict for 24 years.

Smith, of The Strand, Swansea, had, at an earlier hearing, admitted the burglary. The court heard he had previous convictions for supplying crack cocaine; robbery; inflicting GBH and burglary.

Dan Griffiths, for Smith, said his client had been battling heroin addiction “for most of his adult life”.

Judge Peter Heywood told Smith he had committed a “mean offence”.

Smith was sentenced to 12 months in prison.