A BLACKTHORN cider-swilling burglar let the drink go to his head when he left a can of booze at a home he had just raided.

Fingerprints on the can led the police to Luke Tinkler's door, and magistrates sentenced him to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

Bristol Magistrates' Court heard that on May 25 Anthony Scriven returned to his home in Ilminster Avenue at 6.30pm to find it had been broken into.

Sony Playstation 3, Playstation 2, and Nintendo DS games consoles had been taken from around the house, and a laptop and a decorative 2ft samurai sword were also missing – the items were worth £600 in total.

The can of Blackthorn was found on a bedside table, and Tinkler, of Bishport Avenue, Hartcliffe, was arrested on June 3.

During an interview, he admitted the burglary, but said he had been there with two friends and didn't take anything himself.

He told officers he was taking crack cocaine and that he needed money to buy more.

Tinkler also asked for another burglary on May 1 to be taken into account.

That time, he had taken a laptop from a house in Kenmare Road in Knowle while the occupant was at home.

Tinkler, 25, pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary.

The court heard he is illiterate and has mental health problems that are being treated by a psychiatrist.

His older brother, Scott Charles, came to court to defend his brother and repeatedly promised that he was helping him stay off drugs and was caring for him.

He told magistrates he himself had been in and out of prison for almost 15 years and that he was doing everything he could to stop his brother following the same path.

Mr Charles said: "He got in with the wrong crowd when he lived in Knowle West, but now he lives in his own flat in Hartcliffe.

"I am just worried to death about him. He isn't a career offender, and he doesn't realise the seriousness of what he has done.

"He needs help and is seeing a specialist psychiatrist. Who leaves a can of Blackthorn at the site of a burglary? It shows the state of mind he was in.

"But he is not using crack now, and is back to being Luke."

Chair of the bench Celia Lukins thanked Mr Charles for his help and compassion, but said it was still a serious matter.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Tinkler was ordered to pay £100 compensation to Mr Scriven.