by Keith Hunt

A police officer wrote a letter to a judge praising a prolific young thief for owning up to a large list of unsolved burglaries.

Det Con Dick Olley said in a memorandum it took a great deal of courage on James Sullivan's part and showed he was remorseful.

The 20-year-old, of Rowan Crescent, Dartford, admitted one burglary and asked for 71 other offences to be considered.

More than 50 of them were burglaries.

He was sentenced to three years youth custody under the "three strikes" law for committing as many burglaries. It was the second time had faced the mandatory punishment.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Sullivan tried to break into a house in Prince's Road, Dartford, on March 16.

Martin Yale, prosecuting, said Sullivan was caught by plain clothes police officers patrolling the area because it was a "burglary hot spot".

Judge Andrew Goymer said in passing sentence he bore in mind DC Olley's memo and the fact Sullivan had pleaded guilty.

"I have to strike a balance in punishing you for committing the offences and rewarding you for assisting in clearing up the other burglaries," he added.

Det Insp Chris Collier, from North Kent police station, was also in court to hear the sentence.

He said: "I am pleased with the length of the sentence because of the impact burglary has on people’s lives.

"Sullivan appears to be genuinely remorseful and has been commended for admitting many other outstanding crimes.

"Without that co-operation, he could have been facing six years imprisonment."