A prolific burglar who targeted the elderly has been jailed for six years.

Paul O'Hare, 34, posed as a window cleaner or odd-job man to trick his way into pensioners' homes.

Maidstone Crown Court heard he struck at three homes in the space of a week in October. At the time he had just been released on licence from a three-year prison sentence imposed for similar burglaries.

O'Hare, said to be addicted to heroin and cocaine, stole a purse containing £150 from one couple and conned a 93-year-old Gillingham woman into handing over her bank debit card and PIN number.

During the third burglary in Chatham, O'Hare had already been paid £100 for tidying up a backyard when he helped himself to a further £130 and house keys from the 73-year-old homeowner's coat.

Jailing him today Judge Philip Statman said O'Hare, of Meadowbank Road, Chatham had caused his victims "untold distress".

The court heard that O'Hare committed the offences to feed his drug habit, and in the past has been given help by the courts through drug treatment orders.

O'Hare admitted three charges of burglary and asked for another committed at the home of an 85-year-old woman in Rochester on September 30 to be taken into consideration.

He was sentenced to six years concurrent for each of the three burglaries.

Prosecutor Anne Phillips told the court O'Hare he had 35 previous convictions dating back to 1992, seven of which were for burglary and all involving elderly people.

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