A serial burglar who left elderly people terrified after he crept into their homes while they slept has been jailed.
Paul Gilbert, 35, targeted 17 homes under the cover of darkness breaking in through patio doors, windows and on one occasion through a cat flap.
During one a horrified elderly woman sleeping on a sofa awoke to see a man dressed in black creeping past her towards the front door and discovered her bedroom had been ransacked and irreplaceable valuables stolen.
He carried out another break-in on New Year’s Eve.
Gilbert, of York Road, Great Yarmouth, had pleaded guilty to three burglaries in February at two static caravan homes on the Kingfisher Park at Burgh Castle and a bungalow on Westerley Way in Caister-on-Sea.
After cooperating with police he also admitted a further 14 break-ins carried out between December 2022 and March 2023 to be taken into consideration.
Norwich Crown Court was told most were committed at night and involved him either forcing entry at the back of the house, or getting in through an open window or unlocked door.
Prosecuting Eleanor Sheerin said he knew some of the victims and that he had a “pattern of breaking into the homes of elderly and vulnerable people”.
She said items he stole had included treasured family heirlooms, jewellery and items of considerable sentimental value including a wedding ring belonging to the mother of one of the victims.
READ MORE: Norwich man jumped out of window to get away after burglary
In total he stole valuables worth many thousands of pounds, with one household losing items worth over £2,300 after he forced his way in through a secured bedroom window.
In a statement read in court, one victim said she was now paranoid about leaving windows open. “He does not know the effect he has had on my life. I was in bed when he was in my house,” she added.
Another said: “This has badly affected the local community with a lot of residents fearing they could be next.”
The former Banham Poultry factory worker has 16 previous convictions for 23 offences including burglaries, the court heard.
His latest break-ins were committed while on licence after being released from an earlier prison sentence.
John Morgans, mitigating, said: “He is rightly thoroughly ashamed of what he has done. His remorse is genuine.
“He doesn’t make any excuses and looks back with nothing but shame, but undeniably his offending was a consequence of a significant drug addiction.
“When in the grip of this addiction he was thinking of nothing more than getting his next fix.”
READ MORE: New police unit solves 230 crimes in just six months
Gilbert admitted to officers from Operation Converter, a police unit that encourages offenders to confess, being responsible for burglaries in Great Yarmouth and Caister.
“A lot of these offences would not have been solved without him coming forward,” said Mr Morgans.
Jailing him for five years, Judge Janet Waddicor told Gilbert his victims had been left terrified. One had since had to move home due to fears he would return, another woman who had lived in her home for 42 years “no longer feels safe and finds it difficult to sleep”.
Insp Bob Cairns, of Norfolk police, said: “Paul Gilbert is a prolific offender. His actions have created multiple victims who have been made to feel vulnerable in their own homes and may suffer lasting trauma.
“Through the investigative and TIC process we have been able to detect other crimes and hopefully bring some closure for the victims.”
Duncan Etchells, of Operation Converter, said: “Police will use all available tactics and resources to provide the best possible outcome for any victims of crime whenever possible.
“I hope Gilbert uses the time he will spend in custody to reflect on the impact of his offending.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article