A woman, who broke into a home on Christmas Eve while the occupants were asleep, has been jailed for 18 months by a judge, who called the offence 'mean.'

Tamzin Price, 25, stole £50 cash and items including an ID card from the address in Jury Street, Great Yarmouth, and made her escape after she disturbed the owner, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Andrew Shaw, prosecuting, said Price was arrested by police when her fingerprint was found on a window inside the property. When arrested, she was found in possession of a necklace, which had been stolen in another burglary at a nearby address. Mr Shaw said that Price claimed the item had been given to her.

Price, of South Market Road, Yarmouth, admitted the burglary on Christmas Eve and handling stolen goods.

Andrew Oliver, for Price, said that at the time of the offences, events in her life had gone 'spectacularly wrong' for her.

He said she had struggled to cope with the death of her cousin and was in debt to a dealer over drugs: 'She made a foolish decision to break into someone's home. It is a decision she now regrets.'

He said she was hoping to put her time in prison to good use and was taking educational courses and coming off drugs.

Jailing her, Recorder Guy Ayers, said: 'It was a mean offence.'

However, he accepted Price was now hoping to turn her life around and beat her drug habit.