A family lost all the pictures of their year old child when a burglar raided their home taking a computer and camera.

Ryan Hobbs was drunk when he was part of a gang who broke into the house in Stratton St Margaret last summer.

And at the time the 28-year-old was under investigation for a string of other offences including brandishing a hypodermic needle as he stole from a supermarket.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said the young family woke at their Birchwood Road home on Wednesday July 19 to find it had been broken into.

The raiders had got in through an open window, pulling down a blind as they scrambled in, making off with a camera, laptop, digital photo frame and car keys.

He said “They lost all their baby photographs, which are irreplaceable. The dad says in a long statement which sets out their distress.”

In it, he said that it was possible to replace the financial loss but the sentimental values of the pictures is priceless.

A month earlier Hobbs had gone to the Co-op on Groundwell Road where security became suspicious when he loaded his basket with coffee and detergent.

"As he came towards the exit, he had a needle in his hand which he took out of his pocket. He said 'I am not threatening you,' the reply was 'You are'," Mr Meeke said.

"He said 'Look, I am a smack head, I have nothing to lose, I am not threatening you, you don't own this stuff'."

Despite staff asking him to put the goods back he edged out of the shop and jogged off in what the court heard was 'close to a robbery'.

And two weeks earlier he was stealing from cars in the Mannington Lane, Westlea Drive area, in a four hour night time spree.

Following his arrest last year he went on the run between October 25 until his arrest in January, featuring in the police 'Wanted this winter' campaign.

Hobbs, of Blandford Court, Park North, pleaded guilty to burglary, three thefts, vehicle interference and failing to surrender to custody.

Adam Williams, defending, said although his fingerprint was found inside the burgled house he insisted he had not entered the property but was in a group who carried out the raid and he denied using the needle during the shoplifting.

He said the father-of-two had been a drug addict in the past but turned to abusing alcohol after getting clean.

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years Judge Robert Pawson said "I am afraid you have run out of second chances, because you have had several before.

"The people you burgled, you burgled at night. It was a young couple with an infant child of two, at night, woken by the noise.

"The loss of those photographs of the first year, they lost the photographs, computer and a camera which were stolen.

"He said 'We can't replace the memories and the lasting emotional scars. This is our home where we are entitled to feel safe'.