A woman whose job was to help drug users, has retired early after a heroin addict broke into her home leaving a trail of blood over her possessions.

Paul Goodwin, 44, a serial burglar, broke into the Chatham home of Joy Lowther and her husband, through a window he had smashed.

He had chosen their home by knocking on doors in their road to find out who was in and who was out and used a drain cover to break the glass, before stealing a medal belonging to her husband’s grandfather and watches – one of which he was wearing when arrested.

She was so deeply affected by the break-in that she felt unable to continue helping people with drug problems and quit her job.

A judge told Goodwin, who has a 28-year history of crime, that he had no choice but to send him to prison.