A frightened Hamilton householder locked himself in an upstairs room and called the police after hearing an intruder late at night.
Officers then caught habitual thief Andrew Gibson trying to escape through a window.
Gibson, a prisoner, was jailed for two years at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday.
The 40-year-old admitted breaking into a house in St Ninian’s Road with intent to steal on December 10.
He also admitted stealing laptop computers and other items after forcing his way into the offices of drug and alcohol counselling service Addaction in Hamilton’s Allanshaw Industrial Estate on July 17 last year.
Lisa Lann, prosecuting, said the 62-year-old male householder heard a noise in his downstairs bathroom about 10.30pm.
She told the court: “He locked himself in an upstairs room and called 999.
“When police arrived they saw the accused sneaking out of a window and arrested him.”
Referring to the break-in at Addaction, Ms Lann said it happened overnight and CCTV showed Gibson arriving at the offices then leaving with bags stuffed with stolen goods.
She added: “A window had been smashed at the back of the premises. Droplets of blood were found in a toilet and the DNA was that of the accused.”
The value of the stolen goods was almost £1800.
Defence agent Stephen MacBride said his client has struggled with heroin and valium addiction.
A sheriff in an earlier case had given him a drug treatment and testing order which he had completed successfully.
Mr MacBride went on: “Last year he was addicted to valium to a significant degree.
“The irony is not lost on him that one of the break-ins was at a centre for addicts.”
Looking at Gibson’s record, Sheriff Vincent Smith told him: “I calculate that you have at least 30 convictions for crimes of dishonesty including housebreaking, theft by opening lockfast places, and assault and robbery.
“I would have sentenced you to three years, but since you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity I’ll reduce it to two years, to run from December 11.”
