Nineteen-year-old Timothy Finn, formerly of Icewell Hill, forced open the back door of the end of terrace house, with the help of an accomplice, in January.

He stole electrical goods worth £6,000 but also ransacked the property, going through personal photographs.

Robert Sadd, prosecuting, told Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday that it was those photographs, which revealed that two of the three men living at the address were gay, that led to Finn returning to the house the following month.

He tried to get in but when he failed, started shouting obsenitities relating to the sexuality of two of the men through the letterbox.

Finn was arrested on February 22 after police found his fingerprints at the scene. He admitted burglary and using threatening words and behaviour.

Mary Cleaver, mitigating, said her client had committed the burglary with the aim of paying off a £300 drug debt.

"He was going to take a portion of the proceeds but that did not happen," she said. "The valuable items taken did not result in him profiting from this."

Miss Cleaver said that Finn, who had problems with both drugs and alcohol, had shouted the abuse to provoke a fight.

Sentencing Finn, Judge John Holt told him he was guilty of making "very offensive homophobic remarks".

Because of Finn's previous criminal record - involving 10 court appearances for 13 offences - Judge Holt said he was not prepared to impose a suspended custodial sentence and jailed him for 12 months.