A burglar has been jailed for more than three years for breaking into two homes and stealing cash from a service station.

Nicholas Weatherall, 44, of Merton Lane, Canterbury, was caught on camera stealing cash from a BP garage after removing a window that led to a staff-only area.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary, and at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday was jailed for three years and nine months.

All three offences were carried out within a fortnight. The first happened at a home in Beverley Road, Canterbury, on January 23.

The owner of the property returned at 6pm to find that a window at the back of the property had been smashed and the patio door handle damaged.

A pair of garden shears were left next to the window and were later found to have Weatherall’s prints on them.

Nothing was reported stolen from the house. The second offence was committed at a property in the Old Dover Road area of Canterbury on January 29.

A window pane had been removed from the conservatory and a number of items stolen from inside the house including a laptop computer, an iPod and a quantity of cash.

A tool was again left in the garden that was found to have Weatherall’s prints on it.

On February 3, Weatherall and an unidentified accomplice were caught on CCTV stealing cash from a private office at the BP service station on the A2 at Upper Harbledown.

He was arrested a fortnight later and found to be in possession of the iPod stolen during the burglary in the Old Dover Road area.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Kirsty Gee said: "Burglary is a terrible crime that can have a lasting impact on victims, as there are few things worse than coming home to find your house has been broken into.

"Nicholas Weatherall is sadly more concerned with stealing items that do not belong to him and taking money without having to work for it. But there is no hiding place from the law and his crimes caught up with him in the end.

"He now has plenty of time behind bars to consider the consequences of his actions."

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