A DESPERATE drug addict who withdrew large amounts of money from a cash machine minutes after burgling a house has been jailed for 21 months.

Robert Dean had taken a wallet which contained pin numbers to the owner's cards and gone straight to the cash dispenser, creating a stir when he repeatedly withdrew large amounts.

Dean had broken into a house and taken a wallet, car keys and a mobile phone. He was later seen inside an elderly people's residential home carrying a payphone.

The 25-years-old thief of Eva Street, Leigh, admitted two burglaries of a house and an old people's home, possessing diazepam tablets and possessing an offensive weapon when he appeared for sentence at Bolton Crown

Court.

He also asked the court to take into consideration four other house burglaries and a theft of a mobile phone.

When police searched Dean they found 98 diazepam tablets, a craft knife and a large amount of small change.

Dean's record included prison sentences for dishonesty, burglary, theft and taking cars without consent.

The court heard that Dean stole to finance his drug habit which he wanted to break. He had recently married and his wife was expecting twins.