A SERIAL burglar caught on CCTV plundering thousands of pounds worth of jewellery from a shop has walked free from court.

Frederick Moulton, who has previous convictions for break-ins going back almost 40 years, stared straight down the lens of a camera as he raided the Gurkha Mini Market in Fleet Street.

Despite the 49-year-old denying a charge of burglary a jury at Swindon Crown Court found him guilty of the allegation.

Imposing a suspended jail term Judge Peter Blair QC said: "this lenient sentence I impose today is with a view to you knuckling down and becoming a law abiding member of society."

Moulton was caught on security cameras inside the store going through cabinets on Thursday November 20, 2014.

Mark Ashley, prosecuting, said that it was thought he got in through the roof of the property before taking stock worth just under £3,000.

He said Moulton had a criminal record starting in 1978, when he was first convicted off commercial burglary.

In April 2013 he was jailed for two years for breaking in to a convenience store and estate agents in the town centre: again gaining access by making a hole in the roof.

Mr Ashley said he was convicted of burglary in 2011, 2010 and 2008 in 'a steady stream of similar sort of offending carried out by Mr Moulton'.

He said that he had also routinely breached the terms of community order imposed upon him.

A probation officer, giving an oral report, told the court he maintained his innocence saying on all but one occasions he had always pleaded guilty.

She said he was living with his sister and claiming Employment Support Allowance and has a gambling problem.

He also still uses amphetamines, despite suffering from psychosis brought on by taking the drug, and also has depression.

Tony Bignall, defending, said that his client was trying to get himself back into work so he can 'engage in a sensible lifestyle'.

He said: "It is more useful for him and society at large if he is allowed to comply with the package recommended by probation. It will help him get back in to work.

"He knows if he falls short he will be back before Your Honour and there will be one door, and it is not the one he came through this morning."

Passing sentence, the judge said: "I think I am prepared to take that risk. Breaches will be back in the crown court: he will go to prison if he breaches that.

"I can't give you any credit for pleading guilty. You still defy the proposition you committed this burglary but you did: the jury convicted you of it.

"You have a terrible history of non-domestic burglaries through a criminal past that contains quite a lot of non-compliance with non-custodial sentences.

"But you are 49 years old now and things may be falling out now and I am going to give you a chance."

He imposed a nine-month jail term suspended for 18 months and imposed a three month night time curfew with 50 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.

He added: "This lenient sentence I impose today is with a view to you knuckling down and becoming a law abiding member of society."