A COWARDLY burglar who stole from elderly women by posing as a police officer has been jailed for four years.

Danny Brand, 31, startled his 96-year-old victim when he entered her bedroom in Southbourne claiming to be a police officer at around 8.20pm on June 18, having already burgled her flat.

“He said she should keep items of value in a safe place or people would take them,” said prosecutor Sadie Rizzo at Bournemouth Crown Court.

“She has stated there was no way she believed this to be a police officer.”

The court heard that victim Betty Knight, described by police as “agile and savvy”, challenged Brand, who fled downstairs to the locked front door.

“She unlocked the door and pushed him out,” added Ms Rizzo.

She alerted neighbours and Brand was chased down the road and later identified to police.

Brand had pleaded guilty to one count of burglary in Westbourne on July 14.

Then, he entered the home of his 89-year-old victim through her open patio doors during the afternoon, again claiming to be a police officer sent due to reports of burglaries in the area.

He walked around her flat, taking jewellery and a silver dish, only leaving when the suspicious victim called her daughter-in-law for help.

Brand, of Parkwood Road, Bournemouth, asked for the Southbourne burglary and a third at commercial premises in Seabourne Road to be taken into consideration.

In mitigation, Lee Christmas said: “He himself is rightly appalled at these offences, he said he is not that person.

“Clearly he is, when under the influence of drugs, but he is someone who is genuinely remorseful.”

He said Brand had relapsed into drug use after learning the child of the woman he lived with was to be taken into care.

Sentencing Brand on August 15, Judge John Harrow said his crimes were “cowardly” and “despicable”.

“What you took from them whether cash or jewellery is almost inconsequential,” he said.

“What is more important is the long-standing impact this will have on these ladies, probably for the rest of their lives.

“You didn’t care about that.”

He said he was “very disappointed” Dorset Police had not charged the Southbourne burglary after Brand was identified, as this limited his sentencing powers.