A MAN returned home to discover his next-door neighbour had broken into his flat and cooked himself a meal, a court has heard.

The flat owner found that his front door was open, the letter box was missing and the smoke alarm was going off. He also noticed that food had been taken out of the fridge and the wrappers discarded, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He then found oil splashed around and realised that someone had been cooking, said Robert Sadd, prosecuting.

The smoke detector was hanging of the ceiling, wires had been pulled out of a Playstation and a computer part worth £40 had been stolen.

Before the court was Justin Battiste, 40, of Dandalan Close, Ipswich, who admitted burglary on December 7.

Mr Sadd said Battiste had been living in a second floor flat in Dandalan Close and had been on nodding terms with his neighbour.

On the day in question Battiste’s neighbour went out at midday leaving his flat secure but found his front door open and the letter box missing when he returned home at 9pm.

Battiste, who had never been invited into the flat by his neighbour, was arrested after his fingerprints were found on a packet of cookies.

Battiste had initially denied the offence, saying he had been drinking and taking heroin and couldn’t remember much of the day in question.

Craig Marchant for Battiste said his client had suffered a bereavement around the time of the offence and due to the alcohol and drugs he had consumed he may have though he was going into his own flat.

“The situation is totally bizarre,” said Mr Marchant.

Recorder Richard Atchley agreed that the circumstances of the case were unusual and adjourned sentence for a pre-sentence report.