A man has been jailed for three years after being convicted of committing a burglary in Bournemouth.
Paul Jackson, 50, of Bournemouth, was found guilty today – Thursday 23 April – at Bournemouth Crown Court of breaking into a flat in West Overcliff Drive.
He was handed a three-year prison sentence.
The court heard that at 1.20am on Sunday 2 November 2014 police were called to a break-in at the flat, which was empty because the owner had died.
When officers arrived they found a window pane had been smashed and discovered Jackson lying in a bed pretending to be asleep.
The court heard Jackson cut his head as he broke into the flat and his blood was found in the bed.
Jackson, who described himself in court as a “professional burglar”, denied breaking into the flat to steal. He said he had been drinking heavily that night and had gone into the wrong house by mistake.
Detective Constable Symon Clarke, of Dorset Police’s Priority Crime Team, said: “I am pleased that the court didn’t accept Jackson’s defence.
“I hope the sentence handed out today acts as a warning to others committing burglary offences in Dorset that they will get caught and dealt with robustly by the courts.”
