A Durham burglar left a student feeling "paranoid and scared" after stealing her bag and using her bank card in McDonalds.
Elliott Bowery swiped the woman's Valentino bag from her bedroom via an open window and went on to use her bank card in the fast-foot restaurant and a service station.
The 26-year-old, who is a third-strike burglar, was caught after police recognised him from CCTV footage.
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Bowery appeared at Durham Crown Court on Wednesday, via link from HMP Holme House, to be sentenced for burglary and three counts of fraud.
The court heard the offences were committed between October 1 and 2, last year.
Joe Culley, prosecuting, said the burglary took place at a terraced property on Gilesgate in Durham.
He said the victim's bedroom looked out over a courtyard, and that scaffolding had been erected in front of the window.
The student had left her Valentino bag, worth almost £100, on a chair under the window, which had been left "slightly open".
Mr Culley said on the morning of October 3, she returned to find the bag was missing and the window had been "pulled open".
The court heard the bag contained a purse, her student identification and a rail card.
When she checked her bank account, she realised that three transactions totalling over £53 had been used, one of which was at a nearby McDonald's.
Mr Culley said police soon identified Bowery from the CCTV in a shop where one of the transactions had been made.
In a victim impact statement, the student said the incident had left her feeling "paranoid and scared".
The court heard Bowery, of Sharp Crescent, Durham, had 23 previous convictions for 36 offences, including theft and burglaries.
He was also on licence at the time of the offence.
Lewis Kerr, defending, said that Bowery had sustained a "severe injury" to his leg, which required plates, and as a result he became addicted to Pregabalin medication.
Mr Kerr said that his "abuse" of that medication resulted in him "wandering" around Durham and that he then "took an opportunity".
He said there was a "lack of clear thinking" but had now managed to "get a grip of his drugs misuse".
Mr Kerr added that Bowery "hopes to return to his mum and offer her care".
Recorder Jamie Hill QC jailed Bowery for 30 months.
