A "THIRD STRIKE" burglar, who broke into a woman's home on New Year's Day while she was in hospital, has been given a 28-month prison sentence.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Gavin Windle, 37, was already serving a 32-month jail sentence, imposed earlier this year, for a dwelling house burglary on the same day.

Prosecutor Alisha Kaye told the court the female complainant in the latest case had gone to hospital on New Year's Day this year, following an incident at her home in Malmesbury Close, Holme Wood, Bradford. She left her property locked and secured.

Miss Kaye said the woman received a phone call telling her damage had been caused to her property. She returned home and found a back window had been smashed with a metal grate cover.

There had been an untidy search made of the flat and a TV and DVD, valued at a total of £85, had been stolen.

Miss Kaye said the defendant was identified from blood left on a lead from the TV and the window.

Windle, of Kesteven Road, Holme Wood, was interviewed in prison and said he had stored the TV under a car and gone back for it later.

Miss Kaye said he had a lengthy antecedent history and was a third strike burglar.

It was a similar offence to the other New Year's Day burglary. The previous sentencing hearing had been told he had smashed a bedroom window of a bungalow in Tenbury Fold, Holme Wood, and stolen a 40-inch Samsung TV. He was identified from DNA on a hat left at the property, and CCTV.

Windle's solicitor advocate, Andrew Walker, told Judge Jonathan Rose that his sentencing remarks at the previous hearing had rung home with his client.

Mr Walker said: "Your Honour indicated he had the opportunity of being a decent human being and getting himself a job, but instead chose to be a criminal.

"He has enrolled on a business studies and IT course and has been trying to sort himself out so when he does come out he can take the former option rather than the latter."

Judge Rose was told it was not the defendant's fault he had not been sentenced for both burglaries at the same time.

He told Windle, who appeared via video link from Leeds Prison and pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary: "I am going to pass a sentence that does not extend the sentence I passed on you in January."

Sentencing him to 28 months imprisonment, to run concurrently with the existing sentence, Judge Rose said: "Hopefully, you will continue to make good use of your time while serving this sentence."