A drug addict burglar caught on camera frisking a vulnerable old man in his own home has walked free from court.

Raymond Dagostino, who targeted the 76-year-old, was twice filmed by CCTV fitted following an earlier raid on the victim's home.

On the second occasion he was seen holding vulnerable old man 'almost prisoner in his own home and frisking him' as he searched for cash to steal.

After hearing how the 28-year-old had got off drugs and saved money to pay compensation a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

But Recorder Ian Lawrie QC said if he breached the order or reoffended he would be back in front of him, saying "If we meet again, next time you will go to prison."

Last summer the judge deferred sentence on the defendant after he admitted two burglaries.

He told him he must not re-offend, stay off drugs, save £850 cash to hand over and try to get a job.

After achieving most of the aims during the six month period he imposed a suspended sentence: but said he was 'still concerned about drugs'.

Dagostino was caught after a covert camera was fitted in the pensioner's Field Veiw home because he had cash stolen from him in early April last year.

Shortly after, the vulnerable pensioner was burgled and footage from the cctv system showed a young man in the premises making off with about £100.

A few days later, on Friday April 27, he returned and was confronted by the old man, but the raider wouldn't let him leave until he frisked him as he searched for money.

The pensioner eventually managed to get out and alerted a neighbour, who came round to find Dagostino still in the house,.

The court heard that the victim's 'humiliation' was captured on the covert camera and Dagostino was identified as the earlier raider.

Although he admitted the two incidents caught on camera he denied the initial theft that led to it being fitted.

Marcus Davey, defending, said his client had been living in Chichester after the offences but was now back with his family in Hill Rise.

He said he had negative drug tests up to September, when he was living in Sussex, but was now seeing an agency in Wiltshire.

Passing sentence the judge said: "I take the view that you did target the vulnerable man and exploited that on two occasions. Holding him almost prisoner in his own home and frisking him. "He suffered the indignity of not just burglary, but searching him. There was an element of planning: you targeted him."

He imposed an 18 month jail term suspended for two years and told him to do 150 hours of unpaid work and be under the supervision of a probation officer for a year.

Dagostino must also pay back the £100 he took, £500 compensation to the victim and £250 costs of the case.

And the judge warned him should he re-offend or fail to comply with the conditions of the order he would be back before him saying 'you will go to prison next time'.