A BURGLAR who committed a series of offences in Weymouth has been jailed for two years.

James Bruton, 28, admitted two charges of burglary and one of criminal damage, as well as asking for a third burglary to be taken into consideration when he was sentenced at Dorchester Crown Court.

Prosecutor Mark Ruffel told the court that the first offence was the criminal damage, which involved Bruton kicking a glass door to The Bed Shop in Abbotsbury Road in December 2012.

Bruton, pictured, of Adelaide Crescent, Weymouth, also admitted a burglary committed in Carlton Road South just a few days later.

Mr Ruffel said the defendant knew his victim and entered his property while he was away and stole an iPhone and body building supplements.

The offence taken into consideration involved Burton entering a property in Canterbury Close while the homeowner was away in July last year and stealing milk tokens to the value of £9.20 as well as food items.

The final burglary saw Bruton steal a laptop computer and a can of beer from a property in Corporation Road between December 31 last year and January 3 this year while one of the occupants was still at home.

Mr Ruffel said that the defendant was traced through DNA evidence on the half-drunk can of beer that was left outside the premises.

He told the court that Bruton had 31 previous convictions for 37 offences, including one for burglary and one for attempted burglary.

Jamie Porter, mitigating, said: “The situation appears to be in each of these cases of burglary there was no forced entry when they were committed, there was no damage to any property, the matters taken were of low value and in each case he believed the property was empty.”

Judge Roger Jarvis sentenced Bruton to two years in prison for each of the burglaries and two months for the criminal damage, with all of the sentences to be served concurrently.

He also warned the defendant: “You are now what is called a second strike domestic burglar.

“If it is the fact that in the future you commit a further domestic burglary the minimum sentence which the court will pass will be one of three years.

“It is very likely it will be significantly in excess of that.”