A BURGLAR who targeted a disabled woman launched himself from a window after she caught him rifling through her belongings.

Jackie Barfield was at her home in Hawden Road, Wallisdown on the evening of July 20 when she heard a noise coming from her bedroom.

When she went inside, she found John Jessop, who is also known by his alias John Byrnes, attempting to climb out of a window.

Jessop, 52, had been walking his dog with neighbour Mark Gold when he broke into Ms Barfield's bungalow.

Last week, a court heard Jessop had deliberately chosen his victim because she uses a power wheelchair. Jessop lives near Ms Barfield's home.

David Reid, prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, said: "[Jessop] collected potentially valuable items and put them inside two handbags which were already inside the address.

"He placed pieces of tissue under the handles to avoid leaving fingerprints."

On an initial attempt to climb out of the window, Jessop fell backwards into the bedroom, causing the crash which alerted Ms Barfield, the court heard.

"He attempted to leave via the window again," Mr Reid said.

"He then fell out of the window onto the bonnet of Mr Barfield's car. In doing so, he left a large dent."

Jessop passed one of the handbags to Gold, 61, but the pair were quickly apprehended by Ms Barfield's neighbour Brian Jones, as well as Robert Stewart, another member of the public.

Mr Reid said: "Mr Stewart pursued Jessop.

"An altercation took place. Jessop threatened to 'stab [Mr Stewart] to death and kill him'.

"Mr Stewart punched Jessop in the face and returned the handbag to Ms Barfield."

Jessop, who admitted burglary, has a string of previous convictions. In 2009 he was sentenced to nine years in prison for a robbery.

It was heard he has recently relapsed into alcohol abuse and heroin addiction after facing a number of problems. His mother was also recently in a "nasty" escalator accident, it was said.

Gold admitted handling stolen goods. He has not been convicted of a crime since 2004. The court heard he believed Jessop had left him to go to the toilet, and had no idea his friend had been committing a burglary.

Both defendants live in Downey Close.

Ms Barfield, who suffers from fibromyalgia, read aloud a victim impact statement at the court. She said she feels like a "prisoner" in her home since the burglary.

"I am anxious and nervous that someone may come back," she said.

"When I go out, I have a fear of coming back and finding I've been burgled. It gives me a deep, sick feeling in my stomach."

Jessop was sentenced to 27 months in prison, as well as an indefinite restraining order keeping him 50 metres away from Ms Barfield's home at all times.

Gold was sentenced to an 18-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a two-month electronically-monitored curfew.

Judge Peter Crabtree OBE also commended Mr Stewart for his bravery in confronting Jessop after the burglary.