A BURGLAR was brought to justice after he left a spot of blood at the scene of his crime - a house on one of Carlisle's poshest streets.

Magistrates heard how the failed burglary carried out by Liam Warwick, 22, was halted when the householder was woken by a noise the defendant made in the dead of night.

On December 9 last year, the shocked victim found Warwick loitering in the living room of his Cavendish Terrace.

The defendant, of Wentworth Drive, Lowry Hill, admitted attempted burglary.

Prosecutor Peter Kelly described how at 5am the home owner was woken by a noise - the sound of somebody trying to open his bedroom door.

"He then heard the sound of the stairs creaking," said Mr Kelly.

"The home owner said he could tell it was somebody walking down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Everything seemed fine, and there was no disturbance in the house and his dog was not barking.

"He then went into the living room and turned the light on.

"There was a male standing at his desk."

The home owner shouted: "Oi! What are you doing?"

The defendant replied: "Nothing."

Mr Kelly said: "The victim recognised that it was a Carlisle accent, but it was someone he didn't know.

"The male did something with the drawer where he was standing and then left, through an open window in the front door."

As he fled, Warwick dropped a bunch of keys on the driveway.

He ran off towards Stanwix Bank.

The door of the victims car, parked nearby, was ajar.

Mr Kelly said the defendant was traced after scenes-of-crime officers found blood at the scene.

Its DNA profile led officers to Warwick.

The victim later told police the experience seemed "surreal".

Before the burglary, he and his wife felt secure, and would leave doors unlocked so family members could visit whenever they wanted.

"But we don't feel it's safe to do that any more," he said.

Paul Tweddle, for Warwick, said the confrontation between the victim and the defendant was purely verbal. "No violence was offered by either side," he said.

Magistrates said Warwick, who was prosecuted for attempted burglary in March of last year, should be sentenced by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court.

Granting him bail, they said his case would be heard there on July 15.

In the meantime, they ordered background reports.