ARMED police officers were forced to break a man's door down when he barricaded himself into his flat after being caught trying to sell stolen goods, a court has heard.

Clifford Manning, 49, of Cowley Road, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting one charge of fraud, one charge of handling stolen goods and one charge of possessing amphetamine, a Class B drug.

The court heard he was arrested after he and another person went into an electrical shop in the Oxford area and tried to sell a tablet computer and a laptop on October 12.

Prosecution barrister Nigel Ogborne said the owner of the shop checked the items, discovered they were registered to another person and called the police.

Officers went to the shop and recognised Manning in CCTV footage, leading them to go to his home.

Mr Ogborne said when officers arrived, Manning barricaded himself into his bedroom, forcing police to call an armed response unit, who then broke his door down.

The court heard police found a number of items in the property, some of which had been stolen during a burglary in Ferry Road earlier the same month.

Mr Ogborne said police also found a "small quantity" of amphetamine, a Class B drug.

He said: "The defendant said to the police that he had been left the items by a 'white geezer' and he did not know they were stolen.

"He admitted trying to sell the laptop and tablet."

Jane Brady, defending, said Manning had been addicted to crack cocaine and heroin since he was 15 and was "extremely sorry" for what he had done.

She said: "He has had this addiction and it has never been addressed.

"He would welcome an opportunity to look at that with the help of the probation service with a drug rehabilitation requirement.

"It has blighted his life and his relationships with his children to date."

She added Manning had been on benefits due to anxiety and depression, which had affected him for a long period of time.

Judge Patrick Eccles said: "You are at a turning point and you have got to put this behind you..

He sentenced Manning to four months in prison suspended for 12 months.

Manning was also placed under a curfew for 28 days, ordered to take part in drug rehabilitation treatment and ordered to pay £160 costs.