A man who burgled a friend's Bristol home after taking an overdose of prescription drugs has been jailed for 18 months.

Wayne Hicks said he could not remember breaking into pal and neighbour Mark Vasey's St George flat because he had swallowed so many sleeping tablets.

The 26-year-old defendant, who lives opposite Mr Vasey in St Aidan's Close, had broken into his friend's home at night while he was out and stole £500 worth of his belongings.

The defendant appeared to be drunk or under the influence of drugs when police saw him running down the street shortly after and arrested him. Officers then found the stolen equipment hidden in his room.

Hicks later pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary and a charge of failing to surrender to custody on a separate occasion.

Richard Posner, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court Mr Vasey left his flat on the evening of November 28 last year at 7pm and returned home at 4am to be told by a neighbour he had been burgled.

He told the court that Hicks had gone to the home of his friend of two years and kicked the door open before stealing his computer and printer, knocking his TV over and ransacking all the rooms.

"Police searched his room and found hidden the stolen equipment," said Mr Posner.

Daniel Woodman, defending, said his client had committed the burglary while under the influence of prescription drugs. He said Hicks had also been battling a long-term drug addiction.

Jailing Hicks for 18 months, Judge Mark Horton said: "This was the burglary of a private dwelling where you had been and you knew there was equipment there you could steal."