Islwyn Road in Mayhill, Swansea.
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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".
Swansea Crown Court heard 40-year-old Smith was not welcome at his sister's house in Mayhill because of his drug-taking.
But at around 4am on December 12 he went to her house on Islwyn Road anyway and woke her up.
Smith was described as being "soaking wet and barely able to stand" when he arrived at the property, and he told his sister he had fallen off his bicycle.
Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said Smith's sister gave him cigarettes and a dry coat to wear, and called him a taxi.
Smith left the area, but later that morning twice returned to the house when his sister was at work — on once 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.
The prosecutor said police were called, and that afternoon detectives went to a house in nearby Granogwen Road "which Smith was known to frequent" where they found the defendant and the stolen items.
In his police interview he said he intended to sell his sister's property to fund his drug habit — the court heard he has been a heroin addict for 24 years.
Smith, of The Strand in Swansea city centre, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary when he appeared for sentencing.
The court heard Smith had previous convictions for supplying crack cocaine, robbery, inflicting grievous bodily harm and burglary — including a break-in at the Jersey Arms pub in Bonymaen.
Dan Griffiths, for Smith, said his client had been battling a heroin addiction "for most of his adult life", and following his arrest for burglary had been rushed to hospital to be treated for sepsis which had almost resulted in the loss of a leg.
The advocate added: "It has not been lost on Mr Smith how serious things have become."
Judge Peter Heywood told Smith he had committed a "mean offence" against his sister, and had taken advantage of her good nature.
Smith was sentenced to 12 months in prison, half of which he serve in custody.
Read more at http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/drug-addict-burgled-sister-s-house-after-she-helped-him-out-of-difficulty/story-30128194-detail/story.html#Qi0uMwF5AecQd21T.99
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