The lives of Thanet men John Berry and Jason Pitt couldn’t be more different.

John - a former corporal - has served his country for 14 unblemished years as a soldier, winning five campaign medals in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland.

Pitt (pictured left) , a crack cocaine addict, has served half his life in prison with a criminal record of 34 burglaries - bringing misery and heartache to many families.

The two men faced each other in Court Five at Canterbury Crown Court as their life stories were compared.

Because Pitt’s latest victim was the former soldier whose Ramsgate home he ransacked to get money to feed his drug habit.

And among the £10,000 worth of valuables taken were John’s campaign medals, and a laptop with precious photographs of his fellow soldiers – some of whom are now dead.

John, 34, of Margate Road, Ramsgate said: “I didn’t come from a privileged background. I didn’t feel the need to steal. I wanted to be here to find out why he did it.”

Prosecutor Jim Harvey told how Mr Berry had returned from work to discover his home had been broken into – and jewellery, including a 30th birthday present gold ring, and other items had been taken.

The thief had even gone through his personal clothes which had been left in the tumble dryer.

Fingerprints and DNA evidence pointed to Pitt – a prolific burglar and drug addict – who had been released early from a five-year jail term for his more than 30 burglaries.

The 38-year-old ex-con had moved back to his wife in Conyngham Close, Ramsgate – and needed cash to feed his habit.

The judge ruled that Mr Berry’s moving Victim Impact Statement be read to the court – where Pitt’s wife sat listening in the public gallery.

He wrote: “I have never felt so violated. My home felt filthy and he went through all of my possessions. I was in the army for 14 years and only left in February.

“During those years I have seen and experienced some terrible things but this burglary has had the worst personal impact on me.

“Before I was able to doze in the lounge with the back door open but I no longer feel safe doing that. I am jumpy at any noise.

“I worked so hard to build up my home, including 13 months working in Afghanistan in order to earn money for my deposit.

"I put my heart and soul into getting my home and he just smashed his way in and took whatever he liked. It is disgusting that he had no respect.

"i have seen and experienced some terrible things but this burglary has had the worst personal impact on me
" –burglary victim john berry

“And my laptop contained all of my photos and some of them were of friends who I have lost in Afghanistan.

“The first night after the burglary was one of the worst that I have felt. We all want designer clothes and nice things but the difference is that I have worked hard for those things. I haven’t stolen or burgled people.

“The mental distress that I have experienced has shocked me. I have kept my house meticulously clean and now it feels dirty that he went through it and made such a mess.

“During 14 years in the army I have never experienced any thefts, despite the amount of people I have worked with.

“I felt sick the day after the burglary. My home became a bit of a fortress. I put tables against the door to barricade myself and there were times when I was worried about going home because of what I might find.”

Jason Pitt was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court

Pitt started his life of burglary in 1988 – making 21 court appearances until 2009 when he received yet another jail sentence for five years.

Despite that, he was released early in October 2011 under what is known as the “Prolific And Priority Offenders Scheme”.

But on the day he was ordered to visit the probation for drug testing, he was ransacking Mr Berry’s home.

His barrister Philip Rowley said: “He has an appalling history of acquisitive crime, related to his use of drugs.”

Judge Michael O’Sullivan jailed Pitt for five years, telling him: “You violated Mr Berry’s home because of your craving for money, so that you could satisfy your drug taking.

“His laptop contained photographs of friends he lost while serving in Afghanistan- probably during a period when you were serving a sentence for burglary!

“He felt violated and no doubt during your career of offending you have made many people feel like that.”