A SON who repeatedly burgled his parents' Norfolk home was yesterday jailed for 18 months by a judge who said he had let his family down.Only child Terrance Appleton, 21, left home at 16 after he had trouble accepting that his parents had started adopting and fostering children.

A SON who repeatedly burgled his parents' Norfolk home was yesterday jailed for 18 months by a judge who said he had let his family down.

Only child Terrance Appleton, 21, left home at 16 after he had trouble accepting that his parents had started adopting and fostering children.

Norwich Crown Court heard that, despite being left a large inheritance from his grandmother which is in trust until he is 25, whenever he ran out of funds or fell on hard times he burgled his parents' home in Filby, near Great Yarmouth.

Andrew Oliver, defending, said that nearly all his previous offending related to offences against his own parents. In this latest offence he broke into the family home and stole �80 from his father's clothing.

Appleton, of York Road, Great Yarmouth admitted burglary on January 15 this year. Jailing him Alasdair Darroch accepted that he had not offended against the general public but against his parents. “You feel that you were let down by them but you have let them down and continued to offend against them in very unusual circumstances.”

Mr Oliver for Appleton said: “This is a sad case in many ways. The problem stems from when his parents started fostering and adopting children.

“He found it extremely difficult because he clearly wants the support of his parents and yet at times he felt let down. He moved out of home at 16.”

He said that Appleton had been left a large amount of money from his grandmother but could not access it until he was 25 but had lent his parents �10,000. He said that he took the money on this occasion because he had no money for any food.

Mr Oliver added that Appleton would like to be reconciled with his family but realises he needs the help of a professional counsellor.