A "highly intoxicated" man broke into an Indian takeaway in Norwich and caused considerable damage after bursting water pipes and lighting fires in a drunken burglary.

Alvydas Ozolas broke a window and forced his way into the Bombay Spice restaurant in St Augustines Street in the early hours of the morning.

Norwich Crown Court heard the 48-year-old broke a water pipe, resulting in more than a foot of water flooding into the basement, and lit three separate seats of fire before stealing cash and a tablet from the premises.

Norwich Evening News: Norwich Crown CourtNorwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Peter Gair, prosecuting, said Ozolas was "highly intoxicated" and caused "random damage" within the takeaway establishment during the raid on April 2 last year.

He said the premised was left in a "mess" with knives moved, boxes out over the floor and paper work left strewn about the place, including three piles which were also set alight.

Norwich Evening News: Damage at Bombay Spice restaurant after burglary and arsonDamage at Bombay Spice restaurant after burglary and arson (Image: Submitted)As a result of water pipes being damaged more than a foot of water "seeped into the basement", flats above the business premises were without water and the defendant's blood was "everywhere".

As well as cash and a tablet, used for online orders, a trophy the restaurant's owner, Kalam Miah, won for being 'chef of the year' was also taken but discarded outside.

Norwich Evening News: Kalam Miah at Bombay Spice in NorwichKalam Miah at Bombay Spice in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)Mr Miah, who was able to turn the water off before assisting in the clean-up operation, said it was "upsetting" as he had "worked so hard to build the business up over a number of years".

Ozolas, formerly of Thistledown Road, Horsford and who spoke through a Lithuanian interpreter, appeared for sentencing on Wednesday having admitted burglary and arson.

Jailing Ozolas for 12 months, Judge Katharine Moore said he had caused the "most considerable damage" to the takeaway in the burglary and arson in which "three separate fires" were set.

Danielle O'Donovan, mitigating, said he had been "incoherent with alcohol" at the time of the offences which were the result of "utter intoxication".

She said the defendant had been looking to find funds to "buy booze" and insisted the offences were opportunistic but "worse than that it's intoxicated opportunistic".