A KNIFE-CARRYING night-time burglar who carried out a spate of offences in Skipton has been jailed for almost five years.

‘Third-strike’ housebreaker Simon McMinn was desperate for drugs money when he stole treasured and irreplaceable items to flog for “a few measly pounds” to fuel his addiction, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

McMinn, 41, of Bennett Street, Skipton, pleaded guilty to attacking three homes in the town, between January 29 and February 9.

Prosecutor Philip Adams said McMinn struck first in Byron Street, trying a house door at midnight, and pushing at it to try to get in.

He disturbed the occupier who recognised McMinn from the local area. The defendant was shouting and he snapped off a tree branch before making off, the court was told.

The following night, McMinn burgled an address in Lambert Street while a couple was sleeping upstairs.

He got in through an insecure door to raid two laptop computers, a wallet, a handbag, a rucksack and a set of keys to the total value of £900.

The householders discovered the overnight break-in at 6.15am the following morning.

After they had called the police, McMinn stuck his head round the front door before walking off, Mr Adams said.

The male householder followed him and challenged him in the street. McMinn was later arrested with the house keys in his pocket. He was also carrying two torches, gloves, a screwdriver and a lock knife.

McMinn’s next burglary was in Cromwell Street. He got in through an insecure door and was disturbed by the householder who caught him helping himself from the fridge.

He pretended he thought it was his friend’s house before putting down the food and walking out. He had already stolen training shoes and clothing from the hall.

McMinn was arrested on Newmarket Street in Skipton shortly afterwards, with a Stanley knife and long-nosed pliers in his possession.

McMinn pleaded guilty to two offences of burglary, an attempted burglary and a burglary with intent to steal as well as possession of a lock knife and a Stanley knife and equipped for burglary.

He had 25 previous convictions for 55 offences and had served prison sentences for supplying class A drugs and house burglary, the court was told.

In personal statements, McMinn’s victims spoke of being unable to sleep after the offences and feeling that their home had been “tainted”.

A woman training to be a vet lost six years of study work on her laptop as well as precious and irreplaceable photographs.

McMinn’s barrister, Jayne Beckett, said he had a long history of battling addiction.

He was a talented artist, with work accepted in London, and had been a prison mentor.

McMinn moved to Skipton to care for his ill mother and to work on his art, but his entrenched addiction took hold and spiralled into reoffending, Mrs Beckett said.

Judge Jonathan Rose jailed McMinn for a total of four years and eight months.

“You destroyed six years of work to sell a computer for a few measly pounds to buy drugs,” he said.

He asked McMinn how he would feel if someone stole an irreplaceable piece of artwork he had spent hours working on.

Judge Rose accepted that McMinn was remorseful and said the two letters he had written to him showed he was highly intelligent.

He warned McMinn that he would be looking at six years behind bars next time if his life continued to be “a revolving door of crime and prison, crime and prison, and down and down.”