A thief who preyed upon vulnerable elderly women sat crying in the dock as a court heard of his "cowardly and despicable" crimes.

Pretending to be a hedge cutter, David Cooper ransacked their homes to help himself to treasured jewellery and money.

The burglar entered the homes of two women –both were aged 88 – in Hawkhurst and Matfield, near Tunbridge Wells.

The first victim discovered Cooper inside her house in Matfield on August 3.

After entering through a back door, the dad-of-three told her he was collecting money for clearing up hedge trimmings before leaving.

She later found her bedroom drawers emptied and that jewellery including her mother’s wedding ring had been stolen.

Three days later, Cooper knocked on the door of an address in Hawkhurst, saying he was a neighbour and had been cutting her hedge.

No items were found to have been stolen from the property.

Judge Philip St John-Stevens told Cooper he had "shattered the life and confidence" of both victims - after using the ruse he was a hedge-trimmer collecting debts.

The court heard he struck after being released early from an eight-year stretch for identical burglaries.

The judge told him: "You knew exactly what you were doing, targeting elderly and vulnerable people..you stole their lives."

Three days after the first incident, Cooper knocked on the door of an address in Hawkhurst, saying he was a neighbour and had been cutting her hedge.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd told Maidstone Crown Court he claimed he was a neighbour and had been cutting her hedge and demanded money.

He then pushed his partially-sighted victim, who suffered from mobility issues, out of the way before heading upstairs.

The court heard that no items were found to have been stolen during this incident. Police later discovered Cooper had been in the area at the time of the offence in Hawkhurst.

Tom Stern, defending, said that Cooper had lost his parents during his time in prison and then carried out the raids "in the fog of unhappiness".

"He feels ashamed about his actions and feels remorse," he said.

The 52-year-old, of Cinder Hill Wood, Matfield, was arrested on August 9 – six days after the first offence – and charged with two counts of burglary.

He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment today (Wednesday, November 23).

Det Con Josh Littley, the investigating officer, said: "David Cooper has callously targeted some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. He is a repeat and prolific offender and whose actions are that of a cowardly and despicable individual.

"Cooper is someone who simply doesn’t care about the profound distress his actions cause and had we not been able to identify him early on in our investigation, there is absolutely no doubt he would have sought to inflict further misery and despair upon other elderly victims.

"I hope this sentence will at least offer some reassurance and comfort to all those affected by his crimes."