David Walters, 22, had been short of money when he targeted the properties, Ipswich Crown Court was told on Wednesday.

Walters, of Emmanuel Close, Mildenhall, left behind a trail of damage inside the houses, including running water after he wrenched out piping from kitchen units, handbasins as well as pulling central heating radiators off walls.

He was jailed for a total of 15 months after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to burglary and breach of a suspended sentence for motoring offences.

The court was told that Walters was also asking for two further offences of burglary and one of attempted burglary to be taken into consideration.

Shereen Dyer, prosecuting, said the three empty houses were owned by Holywell Row Properties and had been undergoing renovation work.

A director of the company, who had left them secure on April 7, was alerted by a neighbour a week later who pointed out damage.

The occupants of a neighbouring fourth house discovered that their home had been broken into while they were out but no damage had been caused and nothing was stolen, said Miss Dyer.

Walters was given a 12-week detention sentence at a Young Offenders' Institution in December 2007 suspended for 18 months for driving while disqualified and having no insurance. That sentence had been breached twice.

Walters also had numerous convictions for dishonesty, theft, causing criminal damage, public order and motoring offences.

In mitigation, Charles Myatt said Walters left the fourth house he broke into immediately he realised that someone was living there.

When in work, Walters did not normally commit offences, said Mr Myatt, but when he was out of a job he did whatever he could to get money.

Judge John Holt imposed a 12-month prison sentence for the burglary and implemented the full 12-week suspended sentence. The 41 days spent on remand will be deducted from that sentence.


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