A burglar was arrested after he fell asleep in the building he had broken into.

Nikki Duncan, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court Santiago Taboada, 19, broke into Unipart House, Cowley, where he damaged a prefab building.

She said: "An employee from Unipart went into work at 7.30am on December 21 and found the defendant asleep on his desk. He couldn't wake him up and called the police."

Taboada, of Bradstocks Way, Sutton Courtenay, later told police he had not slept "for days". He admitted committing five burglaries last December, and taking an Austin Montego without consent.

Miss Duncan said he broke into the kitchen of the Swan Hotel, Streatley, on December 23, and stole a handbag and mobile phone. That night he burgled a cottage in Wallingford, taking a handbag, cash, cheque books and cards and the keys to a BMW.

On Christmas Eve, he burgled a house in Wallingford and took the keys to an Austin Montego, which he then drove off.

In the early hours of Christmas Day, he was arrested after breaking into Rush Court nursing home, Wallingford. Miss Duncan said staff were alerted by a crashing sound at 4am and found Taboada by the Christmas tree "under the influence of drink or drugs".

John Cammegh, defending, said his client had psychiatric problems which were "indivisible" from his drug and alcohol abuse, and asked for his suitability for psychiatric treatment to be assessed.

Judge Peter Crawford QC adjourned the case for six weeks so the assessment could be completed.

Taboada, who was born in Spain but has lived in this country since he was one year old, asked for a further 30 burglaries and other offences to be taken into account in his sentence.