January 8, 2018 4.55 pm This story is over 74 months old

‘You have a bad record for dishonesty’: Prolific Gainsborough house burglar jailed

He pleaded guilty to burglaries.
Scott Brett has been jailed

A burglar who carried out three house raids within 10 days has been jailed for four years at Lincoln Crown Court.

Scott Brett was caught after cutting himself while breaking into a house in North Marsh Road, Gainsborough.

Mark Watson, prosecuting, said that the occupier arrived home later in the day to find her curtains had been drawn and a light was on in the bedroom.

Fearing an intruder was inside she dialled 999 but when police arrived there was nobody inside the property.

Mr Watson told the court: “It was clear that the property had been burgled. A pane of glass in the French windows was smashed and inside there had been an untidy search of cabinets and drawers.

“Blood found at the scene led the police to this defendant. He was arrested and interviewed and made a full confession.

“He said he had gone to the scene equipped for burglary taking with him a hammer to smash the window. He said that having injured himself he left the address to clean up.”

Brett added that he feared that the house had CCTV security cameras fitted and twice returned to the property in an unsuccessful attempt to remove the CCTV box.

Brett, 24, of Beaufort Street, Gainsborough, admitted burglary stealing jewellery and cash on December 4, 2017.

He asked for two further house burglaries to be taken into consideration.

These were a burglary in Margaret Close, Gainsborough on November 25 and a burglary at a second house in North Marsh Road in the town on November 28.

The court was told he been convicted of house burglaries and three previous occasions.

At the time of the latest offences he was on prison licence after being released just a few weeks previously from a sentence of 39 months imposed in 2016.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told him: “You have a bad record for dishonesty.”

Daniel Bishop, in mitigation, said that Brett was addicted to crack cocaine and heroin and has been on a detox programme since being remanded in custody following his arrest.

Mr Bishop added: “His best mitigation is the confession he made in interview. He was entirely frank with the police.”