A PROLIFIC burglar who was carrying a knife as he raided the home of an 80-year-old blind man has been jailed for almost five years.

Burnley Crown Court was told heroin addict Conrad Howarth, 30, started his life of crime at the age of 12. He had clocked up 15 house raids.

His latest victims were a couple who were out at work and a registered blind 80-year-old man as he was in bed.

Burnley Crown Court was told after the defendant, who was on licence, was arrested he was told by police a footwear print at the first house matched his shoes.

Howarth denied the break-in and claimed he got them from a charity shoe box at Sainsburys.

He had since been recalled from a 42 month prison term passed in 2007.

The defendant, of Kime Street, Burnley, admitted two burglaries and was locked up for four years eight months.

David Macro, prosecuting, said on May 26 the first victim went out at 7.30am and returned at 6.45pm to find his house on Padiham Road, Burnley, had been broken into. A knife, which had been in a wooden block, was in the sink. Goods worth £750 had been removed in a pillowcase Then, on June 8, the pensioner victim was awoken at 11.30am by the police who told him somebody had come into his house. His flat screen TV was lying face down, the fridge had been moved and papers were strewn around. Howarth had got in through a kitchen window and a neighbour had called police after she spotted him.

The court was told a police officer had forced open the back door which the defendant had been pushing against and found Howarth with a small knife in his hand. The officer feared for his safety. Howarth raised his arms in an aggressive manner and the officer hit him with his baton.

Richard Taylor, for Howarth, said he was realistic about the sentence he was looking at, heroine had ruined his life and there was no evidence the 80-year-old was targeted.