A jobless father-of-eight who "wrecked" his home after being evicted for rent arrears was put behind bars today.

Carl Powell, who picks up £1,800 a month in state benefits for himself and family, caused almost £10,000 worth of damage to the three bedroom semi-detached house and also stole some items.

The owners were horrified and disgusted to also find that walls and floors had been smeared with excrement.

And a court heard that during the three years Powell and his family lived there he even grew cannabis in the property, for which he was hauled before magistrates and fined.

Jailing 34-year-old Powell, who admitted criminal damage and theft on the day of trial, the judge, Recorder David Turner, QC, said the house owners had spent their £5,000 savings doing up the house before Powell moved in.

After he ran up £900 rent arrears, despite earlier being given leeway to catch up, he was given notice to quit. "You having left they were horrified to find the house had been wrecked.

"The prosecution say it was deliberate and malicious damage and it is impossible not to agree with that. Most appallingly walls and floors had been smeared with excrement.

"This was a very very unpleasant offence. It is the sort of offence which can only result in a sentence of imprisonment."

Imposing 23 weeks imprisonment Recorder Turner added, "This was a mean, deliberately malicious offence."

David Birrell, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Mark Flanagan, a private landlord, decided to rent out his former home in Farmside, Moreton, Wirral in 2010 but before doing so carried out improvement work including a new kitchen and re-wiring.

By late 2012 Powell had got into rent arrears but Mr Flanagan agreed to let them remain but requested payment of the arrears. But by April last year the arrears had grown to £900 and Powell was warned he could face eviction.

Powell started sending abusive text messages and on April 19 was served with an eviction notice with two months to move out. He was due to move out on June 20 but asked for an extra day which was agreed.

On June 22 Mrs Flanagan called to collect the keys and was "horrified" when she went in and saw the state of the house. Internal doors had been removed, kitchen units ripped out causing damage to the floor and the bathroom sink had been smashed as had the shower.

Carpets had been taken up in bedrooms, wardrobe doors removed, plug sockets and wiring damaged and excrement smeared. As well as the damage, which cost £9,980 to repair, the burglar alarm had been stolen along with window blinds, a television aerial and "bizarrely" part of a drainpipe. The stolen property was worth £475.

Mr Flanagan said he could not believe someone he had been trying to help by renting out the property could have behaved in such a way. Although he is insured the company would not meet the whole cost of the damage and he was over £5,000 out of pocket, leaving him with financial difficulties he did not have before.

When interviewed Powell claimed the damage was just "wear and tear" and claimed the landlord had damaged the property himself.

Rebecca Smith, defending, said that Powell, now of Victoria Road, Birkenhead, now accepted causing some of the damage while removing items such as washing machine and television. "He accepts it was his responsibility to fix the damage or notify the landlord."

He had asked for the extra 24 hours before leaving as his wife had complications with their 8th baby and had to be rushed into hospital for a caesarian birth in the early hours of the morning, she explained.

They have "a somewhat chaotic life" with children now aged between 17 and 12 months and Powell is the full time carer for the eldest boy, who has the mental age of a 10-year-old and his 16-year-old sister who is blind.

The relationship with Mr Flanagan had broken down over the two years and he had fallen into rent arrears after changes to his benefits. He has his own health difficulties and the family get £1,800 a month in state benefits, added Miss Smith.