A BURGLAR broke into his neighbour’s home and tooted his car horn at him as he drove off while stealing it.

Michael Griffin terrified the man in his 60s who found him sitting on the sofa of his flat during the early hours of the morning.

Prosecutor Nik Strobl said the defendant twice targeted the complainant by raiding his Ebbw Vale home earlier this year.

He told Cardiff Crown Court: “At around 4.10am on January 19, the victim awoke and found Griffin sitting on the sofa in his living room talking to himself. 

MORE NEWS

“The complainant told him to get out and the defendant replied, ‘What’s your problem? Why are you getting aggressive with me?’”

Griffin left the flat and the man contacted the police before noticing the keys to his Ford Focus were missing.

Mr Strobl added: “The victim then heard his car being driven off as the defendant honked the horn.”

The Focus was later recovered undamaged and keys were later posted back to the man by the defendant.

In the second burglary, 10 days later, Griffin kicked his way into the flat and stole a Dell laptop which was also later retrieved intact.

He caused £1,300 worth of damage to the front door and the complainant was forced to take time off work so it could be fixed.

In a victim impact statement, referring to the first raid, he said: “He was warning me to calm down.

“His calmness chilled me. He has no moral compass.”

Griffin, 29, of Hector Avenue, Llanhilleth, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one of aggravated vehicle taking.

He also admitted being in breach of a community order for common assault.

Ben Waters, mitigating, said his client, who is originally from London, fell into drugs misuse following the death of his mother from cancer two years ago.

His barrister added: “The defendant has little recollection of what he did. He expresses genuine remorse and shame.”

Judge David Wynn Morgan told Griffin he had caused his victim “trauma”.

The defendant was jailed for 18 months and banned from driving for two years.

He must also pay a £156 victim surcharge after his release from prison.