Maidstone Crown Court, where the case was heard

by Keith Hunt

A prolific burglar who committed 150 offences involving £240,000 worth of property has been jailed for three years nine months.

Daniel Arnold qualified for a three-year minimum sentence for the second time under "three strikes" legislation.

The 26-year-old thief was said to have settled down in a prison environment that held no fears for him.

"You are capable of earning an honest living, but it seems you have demons within you that relate to both drink and drugs," a judge told him.

"The danger is your behaviour is such that time and again you will go back to prison and become a recidivist."

Arnold, of Capstone Road, Chatham, admitted committing one burglary, along with Peter Hemsworth, 20, and asked for 149 other offences to be considered. Jamie Rustage, 20, admitted handling stolen goods.

Hemsworth, of Gillingham Road, Gillingham, was sentenced to 18 months youth custody and Rustage, of Upper Luton Road, Chatham, to 12 months youth custody.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Arnold, Hemsworth and two others broke into a house in Darland Avenue, Gillingham, during the afternoon of May 1 while Andrew Pearson and Tracy Carney and their family were on holiday.

They then used Mr Pearson's van to drive away about £17,000 worth of property, including tools he had acquired over 25 years.

Prosecutor Keith Yardy said a witness saw the burglars, one wearing pink rubber gloves, going in and out of the semi-detached house carrying items.

The sped off in the £15,500 van, knocking down a wall at the end of the drive.

Police arrived and found the rear patio doors and front door had been forced open with a crowbar.

Officers went to Rustage's home and seized some of the stolen property. Also there were pink rubber gloves.

Some of the property was recovered. Mr Pearson and Miss Carney were paid out £11,000 in insurance.

The owners returned early from their holiday the next day and found the house had been ransacked.

Miss Carney told in a statement of the profound effect the burglary had on her and of her dilemma about whether or not to move.

Judge Philip Statman was told that the 149 other offences would have remained undetected if Arnold had not owned up.