A PERSISTENT burglar who raided a family’s home as they slept has been jailed for three years.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the longest Benjamin Dolan, 36, has spent out of prison in the last 21 years is 14 months.

On January 14, he was caught trying to raid a home on Holmefield Road, Allerton.

Roy Brown, prosecuting, told the court the Kelly family were sleeping at 12.30am, when they heard noises.

Andrew Kelly, 29, was woken by the sounds of someone pushing the front door. As he listened, he could hear wheelie bins being moved against the garage.

The court heard he woke his father and they went outside to confront Dolan.

The drug addict claimed he had been looking for a friend and tried to escape.

But when they refused to let him leave, he threatened them, saying: “You don’t know who you’re messing with, do you?

“My family are going to petrol bomb your house. My family live down the road, you’re dead now.”

Dolan, of Belmont Drive, Kensington, later admitted burglary.

Catherine Rimmer, defending, said Dolan was now motivated to tackle his drug addiction and break his cycle of offending.