A BURGLAR committed break-ins while allowed out of an open prison for weekly medical appointments, a court heard.

Mark Sullivan was serving a jail sentence of seven-and-a-half years for burglary at the time and has now had a consecutive term of five years added.

A judge expressed amazement that the 31-year-old criminal was allowed out of Blantyre House prison in Goudhurst without any supervision.

"I have heard no proper explanation as to why you were allowed to attend medical appointments without supervision," Recorder Peter Morgan told Sullivan.

"The decision to allow you to attend week after week on unsupervised day release is beyond my comprehension."

Maidstone Crown Court heard that Sullivan had been given the long sentence in February 2005, having previously been jailed for five years in October 2000 for seven burglaries.

He left the category C/D prison on February 19 this year to attend a regular medical appointment.

Anne Phillips, prosecuting, said Sullivan was then spotted breaking into a music school in College Road, Maidstone.

Police arrived and saw that he had smashed windows to get in. He left behind a footprint and when arrested nearby he had a cut hand.

Checks were made and it was then discovered that Sullivan was a serving prisoner.

He had previously committed burglaries, again while on day release, at flats at Pevensey Court in St Peter’s Street, Maidstone, kicking in doors and stealing property worth about £8,000.

Sullivan, of no fixed address, admitted nine burglaries and one attempted burglary and asked for 11 others to be considered.