A prolific Cardiff burglar convicted for 12 break-ins has been jailed for his latest spate of thefts.
Lee Strickland was sentenced to four years by Judge Eleri Rees at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, after admitting three counts of burglary and three counts of theft.
Judge Rees said: “Those people know that a stranger has been in their houses while they were asleep, which is very distressing.”
The court heard how the first offence took place over the weekend of May 21 and May 22 on Glamorgan Street in Canton .
Prosecutor Tim Naylor told the court the occupant had gone to bed and left his keys in the door.
The next day he found his keys had gone, along with his Ford Fiesta which had been parked in the street outside.
A week later the defendant stole two number plates from a Ford Fiesta parked on Princes Street in Roath .
Two houses in one night
Mr Naylor said: “It is the Crown’s case that the number plates were removed and applied to the Ford Fiesta stolen previously.”
The next day, the defendant burgled a property on Summerfield Avenue in Heath .
He took guitars, a laptop, tablet and a purse containing cash and cards, as well as the Mazda car parked outside.
On the same night, he burgled another property in Heathfield Road.
The court heard the occupier was woken around 3.30am and thinking she heard her cat, went downstairs.
Apology
Mr Naylor said: “She saw a male walking towards her. They made eye contact and he walked into the garden carrying her grey handbag.”
The court heard police officers spotted the stolen Fiesta on Leckwith Road in Canton and a search revealed some of the stolen items, including the guitars, laptop and handbag.
Strickland, 31, from Clare Gardens in Riverside , was later identified by one of his victims and arrested on June 1.
The court heard he had 19 previous convictions, including nine for burglaries, most of which took place in Canton and Grangetown.
Hilary Roberts, defending, stressed that his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, adding: “He wishes to apologise to the victims.”
He said the defendant, who has two children, had a history of drug and alcohol addiction and was “disappointed” at his own behaviour.
Judge Rees said Strickland’s offending had caused “misery, anxiety and inconvenience” to his victims. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/prolific-cardiff-burglar-jailed-after-11789762
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