A DRUNKEN former soldier who tried to enter an elderly couple's home as they slept is behind bars for two years.

Ex-convict Shaun O'Brien, 41, who saw service in Northern Ireland and was discharged after being injured, was slammed as a persistent house breaker by a judge who said he had left his victims feeling frightened and vulnerable.

Recorder Teresa Pepper told the defendant she had reduced the sentence she had intended to pass after a "moving," letter from O'Brien's partner Tamsin Ashworth and went on: "Be thankful for her. I feel very sorry for her."

O'Brien, of Stafford Street, Burnley, who has six previous convictions for burglary, had been convicted of attempted burglary by a jury.

Arthur Stuttard, prosecuting, said that when one of the complainants he noticed a piece of wood in a flower pot.

The wood had been prised off the window frame by the defendant in an attempt to get in the property and other pieces of wood had been taken from other frames. 0'Brien's fingerprints were on the wood.

Martin Hackett, defending, said it was 0'Brien's first offence since 1996. The defendant had had a chronic addiction to alcohol and that was increasing at a strong rate at the time of the offence.

He had little recollection if any of what he did that night and thankfully it had been an attempt and not a burglary.

O'Brien's circumstances had changed a great deal since the offence and that was due to the input of his partner of seven months. She had brought stability into the defendant's otherwise chaotic life and given him a family.

Mr Hackett said O'Brien and his girlfriend had four children to care for between them and also had a grandchild. It was their intention to leave the area and set up home in Rochdale.

The defendant was now in the most stable position he had been in for many years. He had also sought the help of an advisor on alcohol and wanted to deal with his addiction. Mr Hackett added the defendant was discharged from the Army on medical grounds after injuries suffered on service in Northern Ireland. The probation service could help him and give him one last chance to rebuild his life.