A BURGLAR who left an Abergavenny holiday cottage with smashed windows after breaking in as a mum slept in the same room as her disabled child was given 21 months in prison.

David Waters, 27, of Home Farm Crescent in Caerleon, admitted burgling the property on February 25 this year as well as taking power tools worth £600 and a phone from the family’s Peugeot parked outside, at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday.

The court heard how a Wrexham family, on holiday in Llantillio Pertholey, had returned from visiting an unwell family member and gone to sleep in their cottage, when the mother was woken by a loud bang at around 3.15am.

Thinking it must be the weather she went back to sleep, John Probert, prosecuting, said, but she got up at 4.45am where she found broken glass on the floor alongside a rock which had apparently been used to break two windows.

Mobile phones, a games console and a wallet containing £300 in holiday cash had been taken from the living room as well as a phone from a bedroom windowsill.

Waters, who had taken valium before committing the crime, was identified when a bloodstain left at the cottage matched his DNA, the court was told.

He was also involved in a traffic accident later that day and police found some of the stolen property in the car he was travelling in, it was said.

“The family felt unable to continue with their holiday because of this incident,” Mr Probert added.

“One child was particularly worried and mentioned about bad people coming into the home.

“He also had his father sleep with him for some time because of his concern.”

The court heard Waters had ten previous court appearances for 18 offences, mainly violence and public order.

Byron Broadstock, defending, said Waters pleaded guilty to the offence and was suffering from anxiety at the time, for which he received hospital treatment after the offence.

But he had no previous convictions for dishonesty and, Mr Broadstock added, the use of a stone to break in had not been a “sophisticated” entry.

Judge Stephen Hopkins sentenced Waters to 21 months in prison for burglary and three months in prison for theft from a motor vehicle, to run at the same time.

He also told Waters to pay a £100 victim surcharge.