Man Burgles Same House Twice

12 December 2012, 15:04 | Updated: 12 December 2012, 15:08

A St Albans man, who broke into a house in the city while on bail after carrying out a previous burglary there, has been jailed.

34 year old Damian Marie took £200 in the first break-in at the multi-occupancy property in Blandford Road on 19th June. He took the money from under a mattress while the owner of the cash was out at a local McDonald's restaurant. In the second burglary at the same property on 10th November, he took a television and a DVD player.

At St Albans crown court this week Marie, from Clarence Road in St Albans, admitted the two burglaries when he appeared for sentence.

Judge Andrew Bright said once police began investigating the theft of the money, Marie was identified through CCTV cameras at the property and was arrested.

He was subsequently bailed with a condition that he should not go to Blandford Road, but that didn't stop him returning there on 10th November when he broke in through an insecure bathroom window.

Once inside he made his way to a front room where he took the DVD player and TV and walked off with them out of the front door.

Marie was identified by CCTV images and police went to his home address where they found the stolen items and arrested him.

The court heard the background to Marie's offending and his previous offending concerned his long standing drug problems.

Passing sentence, Judge Andrew Bright QC told Marie "This is about as bad a case of domestic burglary involving a vulnerable target as there could be."

He jailed him for 16 months.