A burglar who broke into the Suffolk home of a couple and their two young children while they were asleep upstairs is back behind bars after admitting his twentieth burglary.

The occupiers of the house in Alma Street, Lowestoft, were awoken in the early hours of October 8 by the sound of their dog growling and heard noises downstairs, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

They discovered a kitchen window had been smashed and £3 had been taken from a purse in a handbag, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.

Blood found on a worktop matched the DNA profile of 32-year-old Toby Mulholland of Wollaston Road, Lowestoft, who admitted burglary and was today jailed for three years less 20% discount for his guilty plea.

The court heard that Mulholland has 19 previous convictions for house burglaries between 2001 and 2012.

David Wilson for Mulholland said his client had been released from prison in May and had been recalled to prison after committing the burglary while he was on post release supervision.

He said Mulholland didn’t have a clear recollection of the burglary because of his issues with drink and drugs.