A burglar who targeted the homes of members of his family to feed his drug habit has been jailed for three years.
Matthew Davis, 31, carried out two offences at houses belonging to an aunt and an uncle either side of serving a prison sentence after being caught going equipped to commit burglary.
Leeds Crown Court heard Davis and his friend broke into his uncle’s house on Skinner Lane, Pontefract, on October 24 last year.
Earlier in the day the pair had gone around to the house and asked him if they could use the bathroom. While they were there Davis asked his uncle if he would be going out later that evening.
A kitchen window was smashed to gain entry to the property and rooms were searched.
A safe was prised open and valuable coins, including a George III penny and a gold sovereign, were taken along with £187 cash.
Louise Pryke, prosecuting, said the total value of items taken was £732. Davis’s finger print was found on a wall next to the safe.
He was not arrested until June this year as he was jailed shortly after the offence for going equipped for another burglary. The court heard Davis had been stopped by police carrying a ‘kit bag’ of burglary tools in an area of Pontefract which had suffered a high number of break-ins.
Davis was then released on police bail and targeted a house in Pontefract which was owned by his aunt. Davis had been in the area pretending to be selling computer games.
He walked into the property and stole a mobile phone and keys. The prosecutor said: “The Crown would say that he was deliberately targeting relatives known to him.”
Davis, of Thomas hill house, Pontefract, pleaded guilty to two offences of theft. The court heard he has 37 previous convictions for 97 offences.
Craig Sutcliffe, for Davis, said many of his offences had been committed to fund his heroin habit. He said Davis had been free of the drug in custody and wanted to start a new life on his release from prison.