Prolific Colne burglar is jailed (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Prolific Colne burglar is jailed

8:30pm Monday 23rd July 2012 in News

A PROLIFIC crook who raided a pensioner's home after she popped out for just half an hour has been jailed for two years.

Father-of-two Michael Dwyer, 28, had got a pair of ladders from the 72-year-old victim's back yard and used them to climb up and sneak in through an upstairs window she had left open.

The rest of her home on Skipton Road, Colne, had been left secure, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The hearing was told the victim was too terrified to go into her house in case the intruder was still there on her return at about 7pm, and went for a neighbour.

She was then very distressed to find her property had been ransacked and goods to the tune of £345 had been taken.

Dwyer had rummaged through every drawer in the house, had left them open and had hurled the victim's belongings onto the floor. The defendant had been jailed for six months for affray in January and had struck just three months after his release.

Dwyer, 28, who has a long criminal record, admitted bur-glary.

The defendant, of Townley Str-eet, Colne, had been committed for sentence by Pennine Mag-istrates.

David Macro, prosecuting, said the defendant was caught out after leaving fingerprints on the window. Dwyer was in breach of a suspended sentence.

Joe Boyd, for Dwyer, said there was no evidence he was aware of the householder's age.

He had had ‘huge problems’ in relation to drugs and heroin and had been on valium at the time.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told the defendant he had an “absolutely dreadful record”, including offences of burglary.

She said: “Nothing deters you.”