A SERIAL burglar has been jailed for four years after a judge said he could not overlook his many previous break-ins.

Stephen Austin, 39, of Hanney Road, Steventon, admitted burgling two homes on September 3, one in Steventon Road, Drayton, and one in High Street, Harwell, near Didcot.

He also asked for a further 16 burglaries to be taken into consideration when he was sentenced yesterday at Oxford Crown Court.

His haul included a laptop, Samsung Galaxy tablet, money and Apple iPad.

Judge Gordon Risius said he had considered a suspended sentence for a drug rehabilitation programme to help Austin turn his life around, but told him since new rules for domestic burglaries were introduced in 1999, he had committed a total of 12 break-ins, so had to receive at least the minimum three-year sentence.

He sentenced him to four years, £120 victim surcharge, and said: “I suggest you carry out your sentence and then start to make something of your life.”