A MAN “became desperate” and showed a “mindset with no respect to others and their rights” when he burgled more than £2,000 from two Christchurch cafes in the space of a week.

Marius Gabriel Balan, 28, of Burton Upon Trent, pleaded guilty to burgling The Paddle in Highcliffe between March 23 and March 27 last year as well as burgling the Beach Hut Café in Friars Cliff on March 29.

The Romanian international appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing.

Bournemouth Echo: Marius Balan was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court

Prosecuting, Hannah Hurley said the owner of The Paddle left the premises secured.

She told the court Balan used mole grips to force entry via a side entrance door. He was identified from the DNA left on the grips.

“From that burglary, cash worth £750 was stolen, a laptop and camera and two Bluetooth speakers,” Ms Hurley told the court.

“The second incident occurred on March 29. There was a CCTV camera, that was how the defendant was identified.

“Two tills were taken during that burglary, and he attempted to remove the coffee machine.”

An estimated £1,000 was stolen from the Beach Hut Café.

Ms Hurley said Balan was interviewed twice on the same day and made full admissions after the DNA evidence was introduced.

The defendant had three previous convictions, importing drugs in Romania, a burglary in France and an attempted burglary in Spain.

Mitigating, Nicole Steers said Balan lost his job at a hotel and became desperate for money.

She said: “Ordinarily he works and he has continued to work since this incident. Unfortunately, through sheer desperation he has taken this course of action.”

Ms Steers said he was remorseful and has taken full responsibility for the offending.

Recorder Richard Mawhinney sentenced Balan to 20 weeks for each burglary, to run consecutively, totalling 40 weeks.

He said: “For The Paddle burglary the culpability was high. There must have been a degree of planning, it was at night, and it was not where you lived, you went equipped for a burglary. The Beach Hut Café, culpability was high, the window was damaged.

“To suspend the sentence, is there a realistic prospect of rehabilitation? There may be some, but you felt you had no other option but to burgle because you found yourself homeless.

“That suggests a mindset that has no respect to others and their rights. I don’t consider it appropriate to impose a suspended sentence.”