A FAMILY say a burglar ruined their Christmas after he stole cash from a piggybank and smashed a toddler’s presents.

In another incident, Colin Thompson broke into a child’s cardboard collection box for the blind, to take just £7 in change.

Louise Oliver spoke out after her parent’s home was targeted by the former delivery driver.

Thompson, 45 of Long Close, Headington, admitted three charges of burglary at Banbury Magistrates’ Court this week.

He broke into properties in Greenwood estate and Manston Close, between October 12 and November 1 this year.

Among Thompson’s haul were children’s Christmas presents including a Barbie and perfume gift sets, wedding ring, passport, a safe containing £3,000 cash, £400 from a child’s piggy bank, and a digital camera.

He also asked for two previous burglaries in Kennedy Road and Byron Way to be taken into consideration.

The court heard Thompson had previous convictions from the 1970s, 80s and 90s but no details were revealed.

Chairman of the magistrates Mark Howard said the offences were too serious to be dealt with and committed the defendant to Oxford Crown Court for sentence on January 14.

He was given conditional bail and is barred from entering Bicester except on Mondays and Fridays between 10am and noon to visit his mother.

Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Oliver, 23, of Langford Village, said Thompson took cash from a piggybank belonging to her 20 month-old son Harvey, which was at his grandparents’ house in Medina Gardens.

She said: “He’s ruined our Christmas, then he gets to go home and have a jolly good Christmas.

“The worst thing was he destroyed my little boy’s photo. He took £400 that belonged to a little boy, and ripped up the photo that was with the money box.

“There were Christmas presents for my little boy and he opened them, realised they were not worth anything and smashed them against the wall.”

She said Thompson also destroyed other irreplaceable family photographs Mrs Oliver said: “My mum is having both her knees replaced in January and she’s disabled. He would have come in and seen the stairlift but didn’t bat an eyelid. He obviously thought ‘I don’t care’. He made it quite personal, he definitely took it to another level.”

Another victim, Traycie Saunders, 48, of Byron Way, described the impact the burglary had on her.

Ms Saunders had gone away for a weekend in December 2011 when Thompson struck.

She said he took computer games consoles and games, jewellery and a cardboard collection box for Royal National Institute for Blind People which contained about £7.

She said: “Every single day when I walk into my kitchen I feel scared. It’s that emotional scar that stays with you.”

After the hearing DS Steve Birchall said: “These were despicable actions.

“This type of incident ruins people’s Christmases.”