Man jailed for string of burglaries

A GAINSBOROUGH man has been jailed for 18 months for a string of burglaries whilst under the influence of drugs.

Over 12 days in August 2011, four day-time burglaries and one attempt were carried out in Beckingham, Ranskill, Edwinstowe and Retford.

A 29-year-old Richard Lee, of George Street in Gainsborough, pleaded guilty to the offences - including a burglary at a house in Beckingham on 15th August.

His fingerprints were on a garden swing there which had been moved across a lawn and placed under a bedroom window to gain entry.

Jewellery was stolen, including one piece on which an insurance company paid up more than £7,000.

Also taken was over £2,000 in dollars and sterling.

The court also heard over £3,000 worth of jewellery had been stolen from a detached house in Ranskill.

Lee, who asked for the other offences to be taken into consideration, had no previous convictions for burglary.

He denied entering the houses and said he was assisting his heroin supplier by driving him round to carry out the break-ins.

Lee was caught after an alert member of the public took down the number of a suspicious gold-coloured Citroen Saxo that Lee was travelling in through Ranskill.

When Lee was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday 17th January, Judge Jonathan Teare told him: “You were obviously under the influence of drugs at the time of the offences.”

The court also heard how Lee had got rid of his drug habit while in prison and extended his education, which helped keep his sentence down.