A BOURNEMOUTH man has been jailed for four years after admitting a month-long crime spree including burglaries and vehicle offences.

During one of the burglaries, committed in September this year, Richard Barron was confronted by the 84-year-old occupant, an encounter which left the latter badly shaken and worried about his heart condition.

Following another burglary later that month, the 29-year-old met up with a victim in an attempt to sell back a stolen phone, but was detained by the victim and another man in a car park until police arrived.

Jailing Barron at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, Recorder Stephen Climie said: “Listening to the facts as outlined by the Crown, it is difficult for anyone to accept there is a positive side to your nature.”

The judge said he had taken note of the defendant’s efforts to improve himself since his arrest, letters of support sent to the court and also his “far from straight-forward childhood”.

However he said he would not be fulfilling his public duty were he to order a suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Sadie Rizzo said Barron had first been arrested on September 3 after crashing a car into a parked lorry in West Parley.

The car was not his and he had no insurance, nor a driving licence.

On September 17 he stole a handbag from a property in Wimborne and the following day raided the home of the 84-year-old victim in Bourne Avenue.

Just hours later, said Ms Rizzo, he attempted to enter a nearby property, but was soon caught by police.

While on bail, he went on to commit five further burglaries on a single day, September 27, and on two of those occasions he was chased away by the occupant.

In mitigation, Robert Grey said Barron’s offending coincided with periods of drug use.

“The defendant clearly has a drug problem. Indeed he was taken to hospital after his arrest on September 18 for a suspected overdose,” he said.

Barron, of St John’s Road, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, driving without due care and attention, insurance or a licence, seven counts of burglary and one of attempted burglary.

He was fined £600 and banned from driving for 18 months.