A TEENAGER who burgled properties run by a charitable organisation that he had previously stayed in has been jailed.

Declan Geiran, 18, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Dorchester Crown Court after admitting two charges of burglary and one of theft.

All three offences related to properties owned by the Lily Housing Project, which provides supported accommodation for youngsters, and were captured by CCTV at the properties.

The theft incident occurred on March 10 at a property in Derby Street and involved Geiran, of King Street, Weymouth, stealing a multi-piece ladder.

Prosecutor Roderick Bain said on the night of March 24 at around 2.45am the defendant and another male entered the same Derby Street property wearing hooded tops with scarves covering their faces and stole an Xbox and television from a communal area as well as cash and two laptops from an office.

They also entered the office of a property in Ranelagh Road and stole cash.

Mr Bain said: “In my submission there is targeting of the properties.

“It is no coincidence that the defendant had an association with the organisation previously.”

Anne Sheehan, mitigating, revealed that her client had lived at the two addresses previously so he knew the layouts.

She added that he claimed he had been ‘incredibly drunk’ on the night of March 24 and actually had no recollection of going into the two properties and committing the offences.

Ms Sheehan added that the teenager, who had a two-year-old son, had shown ‘genuine remorse’ for his actions.

Judge Roger Jarvis told Geiran: “You are only 18 years of age and you now have to be sentenced for series matters, the court always takes a serious view of those who commit the offence of burglary.

“One of the particularly concerning features of these crimes is our victim, because the Lily Housing Project is a charity doing its best to help all sorts of other people.”

As he sentenced Geiran to a year in prison, the judge added: “I’m quite clear that you targeted and pre-planned these burglaries.”