6:40pm Friday 20th April 2007
A BURGLAR who admitted breaking into a string of houses in and around Swindon has been remanded in custody.
Jason Harper stole hundreds of pounds worth of property in the spate of break-ins at the start of this year.
The 20-year-old burgled 13 homes, 10 of them in an 11-day period in late January.
Harper first broke into two houses in Lansdowne Road and one in Folkestone Road, Old Town, on January 10.
He then burgled a flat in Wharf Road, Wroughton, the following Tuesday taking a computer, DVD player, toiletries, alcohol, a driving licence, bank card and statements, worth a total of £600.
A few days later on January 20 he broke into a house in Boscombe Road, Moredon.
And the following day he burgled a house in Akers Way, two in Hamble Road, one in Fox Hill Close and one in Abbey View Road in Moredon.
On March 14 he stole 100 cigarettes, a mobile phone, a torch, a gold watch, two rings and car keys worth about £200 in a burglary in Bosworth Road, Grange Park.
The same day he broke into houses in nearby Marney Road, and Gerard Walk. He also interfered with a vehicle, took a car without the owner's consent and drove without insurance.
Harper was also caught handling two stolen drills and being carried in a stolen car on January 22 and being carried in a stolen car in August last year.
Harper, of no fixed address, admitted four burglaries, handling, taking a car without consent and no insurance, two counts of being carried in a stolen vehicle and vehicle interference.
He asked for nine further house burglaries to be taken into consideration when he is sentenced.
Marcus Davey, defending, asked Judge John McNaught at Swindon Crown Court to adjourn the case so a psychiatric report could be compiled on his client.
He said Harper had been the subject of mental health reports in the past, the last being three years ago.
Mr Davey said: "I am not going to suggest that in the end it will be any other outcome but a custodial sentence.
"It may show a vulnerability in this young man which may affect the sentence.
"I am not suggesting it will be anything other than that. I am not suggesting it will avoid a period of detention.
"It puts things into context rather than the court thinking that this is a young man that is bad through and through."
The judge adjourned the case to June 15 and warned Harper he was looking at a prison term.
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