THE father of tragic Tyrone Williamson, who was stabbed to death in a street in December, has been jailed for more than two years after burgling a family's home.

Mr Williamson was one of Brendan Carney's eight children and Bolton Crown Court was told that his death has badly affected the family.

But his grief did not save Carney, a prolific thief whose criminal career began when he was aged just 10, from prison.

Judge Tom Gilbart told 49-year-old Carney: "Your criminality seems to be almost a vocation."

Carney was on licence after recently serving a seven-year-prison sentence for burglaries when he targeted a property in Chalfont Street, Bolton, on November 28 last year.

Fiona Clancy, prosecuting, told how Andrea Orsos and her family were asleep in their home when a crash was heard coming from downstairs just before 7am.

"She assumed it was because her daughter had broken something and she didn't shout down because of this," said Miss Clancy.

But the noises continued and at 7.30am Mrs Orsos got up and was half way down the stairs when she saw an intruder running towards the front door.

"She was scared and shouted for her husband," said Miss Clancy, who added that Carney, wearing a blue Covid mask, then ran back into the kitchen, climbed out of a window and onto the garage roof.

"Mr Orsos shouted for the defendant to come down from the garage roof and and he hit his leg with a stick three times."

After two minutes Carney, with the couple giving chase, climbed down and ran off down an alley, hiding behind a minibus.

After being spotted he fled again, using a wheelie bin to help him clamber over a fence.

But police, after studying CCTV footage, recognised Carney, of Cloister Street, Bolton, and he was arrested.

Appearing in court via a video link from Forest Bank prison, Carney pleaded guilty to burglary.

The court heard that he already has 29 previous convictions for 185 offences.

Nicolas Ross, defending, said Carney accepts his conduct has been "shameful" but told how the defendant had been released from jail 10 days before the burglary without anywhere to go.

Homeless, he quickly relapsed into drug use.

"It has been his predominant vice for many years," said Mr Ross who added that the burglary had been an "opportunist" act by a desperate man and although the householders had been "extremely courageous" nothing was stolen.

"He is man who, sadly, has had tragedy brought to him in recent times but it does not excuse what he has done," said Mr Ross.

Sentencing Carney to 876 days in prison, Judge Tom Gilbart told him: "You have an absolutely appalling record for offences of this nature. Your criminality seems to be almost a vocation.

"Dwelling house burglary is always a very serious thing. People are entitled to feel safe and secure in their home and they shouldn't be awoken to find a stranger in their property, having the temerity to steal their things."