A hairdressing burglar who carried out two raids on Margate flats in a day has asked a judge to lop something off his sentence.

But crafty crimper Mark Moss, 26 – who has spent most of his life inside jail – was given short shrift... and he was sent back inside!

The thief, of Harold Road, Margate, fell foul of the three-strike burglary rule which meant he faced a minimum three-year stretch.

His lawyer Richard Ashley asked if the sentence could be cut to two years and suspended after Moss admitted the break-ins and possessing a small amount of cannabis.

But Judge James O’Mahony pointed out that the hair stylist had a criminal record containing 52 offences which included a four-year sentence for robbery and burglary.

He told Moss it would be “completely wrong to ignore the requirements of Parliament and of the public's views of those who burgle people’s homes.”

Moss had been drinking in the Walmer Castle Public House in August when he went outside for a cigarette.

Canterbury Crown Court heard he saw stairs leading to flats above the pub and made three trips into the rooms and stole a Playstation and then a £240 bike.

Prosecutor Jim Harvey said that it was only when two residents realised they had been burgled and viewed the pub’s CCTV cameras they spotted Moss stealing the items.

Mr Ashley said Moss had made progress, training to become a hairdresser and now has a fiancée and a 12-week old child.

“It is the first job he has ever had and has moved away from his criminal connections in Peterborough.”

“You have an appalling list of previous convictions” - Judge James O'Mahony

Mr Ashley said the raids had been “opportunistic” after Moss had gone to the Walmer Castle for a drink with “no intention of committing crimes”.

“He is absolutely furious with himself because he has let down himself after such a promising start and his fiancée and his young child.

"It was a stupid act and he is distraught. He asks for one chance to demonstrate he can be trusted.”

Moss was jailed for three years, with the judge telling him: “Your advocate says this was opportunistic, yet you made three trips inside the flats.

“There was 17 minutes between the first and second trips and another six minutes between the second and third.

"That would have allowed you ample time for you to consider what you were doing and withdraw from the situation.

“You have an appalling list of previous convictions.”