A DRUG addict who burgled his mother's house in Lowestoft and stole items worth more than �9,000 has been jailed 30 months after a judge heard that she did not feel safe while he was not in prison.

John Goffin, 30, twice broke into the house in Clifton Road in a two-week period in May, Ipswich Crown Court was told. He had also taken her purse in 2004, stole cash and jewellery from her in 2007 and computer games and DVD boxed sets in 2010.

Goffin, of Walton Road, Lowestoft, pleaded guilty to the two latest burglaries and was jailed for 30 months.

Judge David Goodin also made a restraining order banning Goffin from going to his mother's home for five years. 'Your mother doesn't feel safe when you are at large anymore,' he told him.

Lindsay Cox, prosecuting, said that on May 1 Goffin's mother returned from work to find someone had got into her home by removing an air vent in a rear window and stolen computer games, a games console and jewellery worth �9,000.

Two weeks later, on May 15, she returned from work to find out that boarding across the window that had been used to gain access on the previous occasion had been pulled down and her home had again been burgled.

On this occasion, further jewellery and a wallet containing bank cards had been taken.

Mr Cox said footprints found at the property were later matched to footwear belonging to Goffin. It was discovered he had sold some of the stolen property to a local shop when his mother saw her earrings on display in the window.

Mr Cox described the contents of a victim statement made by Goffin's mother as 'very sad'.

Steven Dyble for Goffin said his client began using drugs when he was 13 or 14 and had started stealing from his mother at around that age. By 15 Goffin was 'out of control' and had become addicted to heroin.

Mr Dyble said there was no suggestion Goffin had ever been violent towards his mother.

He said he stole from her to fund his habit and always committed the burglaries while his mother was out.

'On one occasion he left a note to his mother to say he'd done it,' said Mr Dyble.

He said that after spending the last two months in custody Goffin was drug free and he asked the court to consider passing a residential rehabilitation order to break Goffin's cycle of offending.