A TERRIFIED woman awoke in the middle of the night to find a strange man standing at the end of her bed, a court has heard.

On realising that she had awoken, the intruder fled from her home but when she reached for her mobile phone to call the police she discovered that he had stolen it from her bedside table.

The frightened victim looked around her flat and found that he had also stolen her laptop, purse and camera, bringing the burglar's haul to £1,000, said Edmund Haygarth, prosecuting.

When police arrived at her home above a cafe in Bradshawgate, Leigh, they found fingerprints belonging to Jimmy Hoofe, aged 27, who had only been released from prison nine days earlier following a six month sentence for dishonesty.

Hoofe, of Maple Crescent, Leigh, was today, Friday, jailed for two years by Mr Recorder Nadim described it as 'a nasty offence'.

"The householder was asleep and you were in close proximity to her. Your life is in your own hands. Sentences from here on in will become more severe," he said.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Hoofe, who pleaded guilty to the May 18 burglary, has 19 previous convictions for dishonesty including burglaries.

Katie Appleton, defending, said that Hoofe was very sorry. He had not targeted the victim and had not even realised that the flat was occupied and had been heavily intoxicated at the time of the offence.

She added that he had a long standing heroin addiction.