A prolific burglar who broke into a flat while a couple were asleep has been jailed for three years and four months.

John Alan Johnson fled through the back door after being disturbed by a woman who had got up and seen the outline of a dark figure in the living room.

Jailing him, Deemster Graeme Cook said: ‘She must have been terrified.’

She had told police she had felt ‘violated’ that the defendant had entered her home while she was asleep.

The court heard Johnson, 45, of James Street in Douglas, was a prolific burglar who had a string of previous convictions for domestic break-ins. Prosecutor Peter Connick said: ‘He has an appalling record.’

The Court of General Gaol Delivery heard that a couple were asleep in their ground floor flat at Stevenson Court in Douglas on November 23. They had left the back door unlocked.

At 5am the women went to use the bathroom and heard the sound of a waterproof coat being moved. Having seen the outline of a figure, she realised there was someone in her living room and called out ‘hello?’. She lost sight of the figure and saw the back door to the kitchen was ajar.

She woke her partner and they checked the house and found signs of a disturbance.

The woman said that £30 to £40 was missing from her purse and her car keys were gone. A tub of medicinal cannabis had been taken and three other tubs were now empty.

An Amazon Fire Stick had also been stolen.

Doorbell camera footage showed Johnson trying door handles at around 4.20am.

Police went to his home and saw him throw a container out of a window.

This was identified as being the same as the cannabis container stolen during the burglary.

Johnson had the Amazon Fire Stick on him, and a search of the property found 10.6 grams of cannabis, valued by police at £222. He admitted burglary and possession of cannabis.

Defence advocate Deborah Myerscough said her client felt ‘embarrassed and ashamed’.

She said the crux of the matter was his addictions to alcohol and drugs.