A man went on burglary spree which saw him steal a range of items from golf clubs to vodka, medical equipment, a carpet cleaner and an e-scooter, a court has heard. Jamie Jones targeted a house and a series of sheds and garages in the late night raids looking for things he could sell to fund his drug habit.
Swansea Crown Court heard the 37-year-old has more than 70 offences on his record, and committed his first burglary when he was aged just 14. Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, told the court the offences happened over the course of two weeks in November last year, and began when Jones used a brick to smash his way into a bungalow on Pen-yr-Yrfa in the Clase area of Swansea on the night of November 10.
The property was empty at the time as the owner was renovating it for his daughter, and the raid was discovered the following morning. Jones' blood was found in the kitchen of the bungalow.
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Over the following days Jones broke into a garden shed on Pen-yr-Yrfa from which he stole golf clubs, a power tool, and bottles of Au vodka; a garage on Quarry Road in Treboeth from which a stole an e-scooter; and a garage on Ruggles Terrace in Clase from which he stole medical equipment, a power washer, and a tile cutter. The court heard he was challenged by a neighbour while making off from the Ruggles Terrace burglary and threw away the items he had just stolen as he fled the scene. The final offence in the spree saw Jones breaking into a parked van on November 22 and stealing a Cannondale cycle and a carpet cleaner.
The court heard Jones was tracked down to a property on Pen-yr-Yrfa where police found some of the stolen property including the vodka. In his subsequent interview he answered "no comment" to all questions asked.
Jamie Jones, of Pentre-Treharne Hill, Landore, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to one count to burglary of a dwelling, three of burglary of a non-dwelling, and one of theft from a vehicle when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 33 previous convictions for 75 offences including house burglaries - the first committed when he was 14 - handling stolen goods, possession of knives and offensive weapons, public disorder, and drugs matters.
Andrew Evans, for Jones, said the abuse of controlled substances as well as alcohol had been an issue for the defendant for a number of years, and that his use of such substances had caused a rift with his mother. He said in trying to address his problem with alcohol his client had developed a crack cocaine habit.
Judge Huw Rees said the impulse driving Jones' offending had been his desperation to find property to sell in order to satisfy his desire for drugs. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Jones was sentenced to a total of three years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
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