A burglar was arrested by officers in the back garden of a home he had just targeted, a court heard.

Paul Mounger, 27, and formerly of Alamein Road in Swanscombe, targeted nine properties across north and west Kent between November 2016 and January 2017 before he was arrested in Greenhithe.

Mounger pleaded guilty to nine counts of burglary and one count of theft from motor vehicle and has now been jailed for three years at Maidstone Crown Court.

The court heard that at 7pm on January 23 a witness called police after noticing torch lights being shone inside a home in Beaton Close. The witness knew the occupants were not in and suspected a burglary was taking place.

Officers were sent to the scene and detained Mounger in the back garden of the house, still carrying a bag filled with the victim’s belongings. The victim’s television was also recovered in the garden.

While Mounger was in custody, officers reviewed CCTV of a burglary in Atlantic Close, Swanscombe, on January 17. Camera equipment, a telescope, a laptop and a TV were stolen and it was quickly established that Mounger was the offender.

He was subsequently charged and remanded in custody.

Investigations continued and it was found that Mounger had used a stolen red Ford Fiesta to travel to some offences. It was kitted out with stolen plates to try to avoid detection and officers found 61 items, stolen from various burglaries inside.

Piecing the evidence together, officers connected Mounger to a number of break-ins:

• Brookside Road, Istead Rise, on December 10, 2016. Jewellery, cash, TV and a games console were stolen – as were the keys to the Ford Fiesta.
• Kibbles Green, Sevenoaks, on November 24, 2016. Luxury watches and handbags were stolen. Mobile phone data pinned Mounger to the address at the time of the burglary.
• Harrison Avenue, Longfield, between December 23 and 24, 2016. Rucksacks, a camera and a virtual reality headset were among the items taken. Again, mobile phone data pinned Mounger to the area at the time of the burglary.
• Constable Road, Gravesend, between November 14 and 16, 2016. Tablet computers, two watches and a rugby kitbag were among the items stolen.
• Scratton Fields, Cobham, between December 24 and 25, 2016. A smart watch, a tablet computer and headphones were among the items stolen.
• Darenth Park Avenue, Dartford, on December 28, 2016. A luxury handbag and a tablet computer were stolen.
• Sherwood Avenue, Chatham, on January 13, 2017. Tablet computers and power tools were among the items stolen.

Two of the bags which had been stolen were sold on an online auction site.

As well as these charges, Mounger was also charged with stealing the front and rear registration plates of a car that was parked in Joyce Green Lane, Dartford, between December 5 and 12, 2016.

DC Robin Hemsley, the investigating officer for this case, said: “Mounger indiscriminately targeted numerous homes and was brazen enough to use a stolen vehicle to travel to crime scenes and store the stolen items.

“Burglary is an intrusive and callous offence and a particularly aggravating feature for his crimes is the fact he targeted some homes over the Christmas period.

“I am all too aware of the impact burglaries can have on victims and I hope that they can find some closure by knowing we have secured this prison sentence.”