A BURGLAR who used a cat flap to break into a Poole home has been jailed for 21 months.

Michael Bednarczyk made off with more than £8,000 worth of property after the daytime raid in Stourpaine Road, which occurred on September 22 last year.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott told Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, March 30, how the 31-year-old reached through a cat flap to pick up a key to the door before conducting an "untidy" search.

He stole jewellery, cash and electrical equipment worth a total of £8,288, but was caught when detectives found "grease mark" fingerprints on the cat flap.

The court heard Bednarczyk had two previous convictions for burglary from 2013, for which he had been given suspended prison sentences. He was in breach of a nine month suspended sentence.

Judge Peter Johnson activated the nine month sentence and passed a new consecutive 12 month prison term.

Bednarczyk, who was assisted by a Polish translator in court, also asked for a another burglary which he carried out in Brockenhurst on September 25 last year to be taken into consideration.

In mitigation, Leslie Smith said his client had come to the UK "with high hopes for a new start" after being jailed for a burglary in the Netherlands.

He said Bednarczyk had struggled to meet his rental costs of the studio flat in Madison Avenue, Springbourne, which he shared with his partner.

"He had no work, the agency couldn't provide any work, he got drunk with what money he had and reverted back to type," he said.

"He has lost the lot. He knows he has made a terrible mistake.

"He is back where he started but without his long-term partner."

Mr Smith said his client planned to return to Poland to "start again".