Jewellery burglar jailed for targeting Wakefield homes

Peter Saville confessed to police about a string of offences carried out across West Yorkshire when he was arrested.

Leeds Crown Court heard Saville committed offences at 11 homes during November and December last year.

Tom Jackson, prosecuting, said Saville broke into the home of an 83-year-old woman on Quarry Drive, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield, on December 9.

He used a crowbar to force open a kitchen window to get into the property.

The 44-year-old defendant also broke an outside tap which caused the garden to flood.

Saville searched cupboards and stole rings which he later sold for £120.

The pensioner returned home later that afternoon to discover that her home had been broken into.

The great-grandmother provided a victim statement to the court describing how she no longer feels safe in her home of 51 years.

Saville broke into a family home on Upper Lane, Netherton, Wakefield, on December 16.

He forced open a kitchen window with a crowbar and was captured on CCTV footage walking around the property.

Saville stole an engagement ring and two other rings which had high sentimental value.

The couple who own the property said they had been left "devastated" and had not told their two children about the incident as they did not want them to feel unsafe.

Saville burgled a house on Netherton Lane, Netherton, on December 20.

Mr Jackson said he smashed a bedroom window to get inside and "ransacked" three bedrooms.

The owner of the house returned home while Saville was still upstairs.

He managed to escape but was identified as the burglar from a shoe print found at the scene.

On December 30 he caused around £1,000 worth of damage to patio doors as he forced his way into a house on Hardcastle Lane, Flockton.

The family who live there were away on holiday at the time.

He searched the house and left with rings, a watch and a bracelet.

The court heard how the family had to cut short their holiday and return home after neighbours told them about the burglary.

After being arrested Saville told police about other crimes he had committed at properties in Huddersfield, Wakefield and Pontefract.

The court heard he used his partner's car to commit the offences.

The defendant told police he had carried out the burglaries in order to make money to pay off a drug debt.

Saville pleaded guilty to four offences of burglary.

He asked for a schedule of six further burglary offences and one attempted burglary to be taken into consideration by the court.

The court heard Saville has previous convictions for burglary dating back to 1997 and has served a number of prison sentences in the past.

Robin Fieze, mitigating, said Saville pleaded guilty to the offences and co-operated with the police at an early stage.

Mr Frieze said Saville returned to crime after drug dealers ``hounded" him for money and threatened him with violence.

Handing Saville a six-year jail term, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said: "You are a professional burglar.

"The next burglary you commit is likely to be committed within a very short time after your release from custody.

"There has to be some protection for the public."