When police were called to a boarded up property in Cliftonville in July they found drug addict Shane Vanaalst inside with several holdalls containing property taken from the house.

Included in the haul were old coins, war memorabilia, diaries from 1918, 1939 and 1942, military hats, badges and uniforms, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

They had been collected by former museum curator Robert Bradley who died earlier in the year when he fell through the floor of the poorly maintained property.

Vanaalst, 37, of Elfrida Close, Margate, admitted three burglaries at the house in Northdown Road and also admitted possessing 44g of amphetamine.

Ian Foinette, prosecuting, said after the occupant died the property had been boarded up by the local authority. At 7.50am on July 18 neighbours became aware there was someone inside.

“You were caught red-handed and a large number of items were also found in your home. You thought the items would be abandoned and as a collector yourself you thought you would protect them” - Recorder Peter Morgan

Police arrived and found Vanaalst in the building with several holdalls containing items from the house. Challenged by the police he said he had walked past the house and had gone in.

His home was searched and more things from the property were found, along with a small amount of amphetamine, Mr Foinette said.

Most of the items taken, valued at between £2,000-£3,000, were recovered.

Vanaalst said he had been to the house three to four times before he was arrested. He said he had been keen to remove the property after hearing about the death of the occupant as he was concerned about what would happen to it.

Mr Foinette said: “He suggested he was trying to preserve the property although he told police he was going to sell it. Money from the sale would be used to fund his drug addiction. He said he had been using drugs each day since he was 19.”

Vanaalst had two previous convictions and two cautions.

Nick Jones, defending, said it was a most unusual case. “Vanaalst used to visit a shop run by the dead occupant as he collects items too,” Mr Jones said. “The property was in such a poor state he died when he fell through the floor.

“Vanaalst did not want the items in the house put in a skip when the building was pulled down.”

Mr Jones said Vanaalst had led a blameless life until the loss of his infant son. “After that he turned to amphetamine as a way of getting through the day and since then he has had a long addiction,” he added. “Because of this he was in financial need.”

Mr Jones said Vanaalst lived with his disabled partner and no longer had contact with his two children after his previous partner moved out of the area.

Recorder Peter Morgan told Vanaalst: “You were caught red-handed and a large number of items were also found in your home. You thought the items would be abandoned and as a collector yourself you thought you would protect them.”

Recorder Morgan said Vanaalst had suddenly acquired several criminal convictions in a short time.

Vanaalst was sentenced to a total of eight months in prison, suspended for a year, for all the offences. He was given a six-month supervision order, told to undergo six sessions of drug counselling and ordered to pay £100 surcharge. The drugs will be destroyed.