A judge has spoken of the fear felt by the victims of burglary.

Judge Austin Issard-Davies said the insecurity that resulted from having their homes violated stayed with the victims afterwards.

He spoke out as he jailed Robert Holloway today for breaking into the home of one of his grandmother's neighbours.

Holloway, 22, was sent to prison for nine months for breaking into two family homes in Horsham, one in the same road as his grandmother.

The sentence came despite recent Home Office guidance that only the most serious offenders should be jailed because prisons are almost full.

Holloway, of St John's Crescent, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, had no previous convictions but had been cautioned for shoplifting when he was 17.

Judge Issard-Davies told him: "You burgled the houses of two families at night and while the occupiers were at home.

"One was a neighbour in the same road as your grandmother whom you visit regularly.

"The occupier of that house had the galling experience of seeing you coming and going in the street where she continues to live.

"The damage that you do when you commit such burglaries and the fear and insecurity that you create stays with the people whose houses you burgle.

"Whenever they go to bed at night and they hear a floorboard creak, they wonder if there is a burglar in the house.

"Whenever they come home and as they are about to put their key in the door they wonder what they will find when they get inside.

"They do not know if they will find that their house has been ransacked or worse still if there is still someone in the premises.

"The only realistic sentence for these offences is on of imprisonment."

At Hove Crown Court, Jacinta Strigner, prosecuting, said Rachel Ferguson was woken on September 28, by her dog barking at 2.20am She went downstairs and found the kitchen door wide open and property worth £779 missing.

Miss Stringer said: "On October 11, she received an anonymous letter saying her home had been burgled by Holloway who was staying in Bennett Road, Horsham.

"The letter said he had boasted about smoking her cigarettes and the he would be able to tell her where her treasured possessions were."

Police raided the address in Bennett Road and found some of the property taken from Mrs Ferguson's home.

With it was property stolen in a burglary at a house in Highland Road, Horsham, on August 24.

Holloway admitted breaking into both houses while he was staying with his grandmother in Bennett Road.

Graham Lodge, defending, said Holloway had a "disastrous" start to life after he was bullied at school.

His grandfather had recently died and he had a serious alcohol problem.

Mr Lodge said: "He drank litres of cider a day and his drinking was totally out of control."

Mr Lodge added that both homes were entered through unlocked doors and no force was used to break-in.