A NURSE and her husband had to subdue a burglar - high on drugs - who wandered into their home late at night.

Neil Walker was left clinging onto the legs of serial housebreaker Jason Fleming, as he tried to climb out of his bedroom window, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

And his wife Elizabeth, who had only just finished a shift, came to the householder's aid until police arrived, the court was told.

Later Mr Walker told police: "I should be able to feel safe inside my own home and I now I feel uneasy about all this."

His wife added said Fleming had threatened her, in front of arresting officers, and this had preyed on her mind, adding to the stress she endured while working 60-hour weeks.

Fleming, formerly of Oldham Road, Failsworth, but now of no fixed address, who admitted to a burglary charge, was imprisoned for three years.

He has served prison terms of five and six years previously for domestic burglaries, the court heard.

Jailing him, Judge John Potter, said: "I have read the victim impact statements in this case and quite clearly your victims were doing nothing more than trying to live good, decent. and honest lives, watching television in their front room, when they had the distress of seeing you invade their home, particularly at this time, and try to steal items of value from them.

"You should, not for the first time in your life, be thoroughly ashamed of your disgraceful behaviour."

Earlier Andrew Mackintosh, prosecuting, told the court how Mrs Walker had returned home at around 11pm on April 16, after work, and was met by her husband, who was self-isolating at this time.

The couple heard a noise upstairs and Mr Walker went to investigate, the court was told.

Mr Mackintosh said the householder found Fleming on his bedroom window sill and challenged him. The intruder was attempting to climb out of the window and Mr Walker grabbed him by the legs.

The court heard Mrs Walker, who had called the police, came to her husband's aid and Fleming was detained until officers arrived.

Fleming broke free briefly, the court heard, but then fell from the first-floor window. Police found a ring which he had taken from the house.

He had to treated in hospital for leg injuries and walked into the dock at court on crutches.

Andrea Lock, defending, said her client, who had not long been released from prison on licence, for burglary offences, had been making good progress.

Fleming had been living with his mother, who has COPD, she told the court. But after a dispute with his brother he was kicked out of the family home and had been effectively homeless at the time of the offence.

Ms Lock said the defendant had taken two strips of diazepam tablets, before the break-in, and had little recollection of the events of that night.

Fleming admitted he broke into the house to find things to steal as he was living on the streets and needed money, she added.