A PROLIFIC 'career' burglar who preyed on community groups and clubs is again behind bars - and his victims warn the serial thief has put them 'in austerity' after wreaking thousands of pounds-worth of damage.

A court judge described two burglaries carried out by thief Adam Kupka, of Howard Street, East Oxford, as ‘disgraceful’, after he committed the offences while on licence for burgling another 11 community organisations in 2015 and 2016.

He was once again put behind bars last week after admitting two further counts of burglary, one at the Kidlington Bowls Club, Oxford Road, on June 22 and another at Littlemore Rugby Club, Northfield Close, between July 16 and July 17 this year.

At both break-ins the 29-year old, who has a long history of targeting community organisations across the city, caused thousands of pounds of damage and stole cash - with rugby club volunteers warning the club has suffered badly due to his actions.

Treasurer at Littlemore Rugby Club Mick Barlow, 52, from Cowley, said: “It was a real kick in the teeth for us.

“We are a very small community rugby club and we rely on our bar takings to fund our rugby activities.

“So the loss of takings hit us hard and left us in a vulnerable position. We have since had to carry out repairs and upgrade our security systems which has cost us.

“We were very successful last year and secured promotion and now we need to invest in the team. But this has put us in a position where we can’t do it.”

Recalling the incident, he said he said he first got a call on the morning of July 17 to say that the club had been burgled.

Two doors had been damaged during the break-in and the safe which contained about £1,200 had been destroyed, and the cash taken.

Other cash raised from various fundraising activities was also stolen by Kupka.

Mr Barlow said: “It comes back to the fact that we are a community club so it was a real kick in the teeth for the community.

“We have tried to carry on as normal and we are trying to put on extra events to raise money.

“He is a prolific offender so I am sure that the sentence won’t mean too much for him but it is quite comforting from our perspective.

“We are in austerity mode in terms of our spending while we are trying to restore funds. So it means all of our plans have now been put on hold.”

The latest double-burglary comes after a rash of similar raids at 11 other community centres, clubs and churches in 2015.

At the time of the latest offence, Kupka was on licence after serving part of a 28-month jail term handed to him in March last year.

Following that sentence last year Graeme Lewis, chairman of the North Oxford Conservative Club, which was one of the organisations targeted, blasted the ‘leniency’ of the jail term. Speaking to Oxford Mail at the time he said it was ‘a farce.’

At the Tuesday sentencing at Oxford Crown Court, in which he was jailed for 40 months, Judge Peter Ross called the offences ‘disgraceful.’

He said: “You have been convicted of no fewer than 14 burglaries of non-dwelling premises. They have all a familiar and similar nature.

“They are all buildings belonging to organisations where it was voluntary work.

“These are mean and wicked offences and they destroy places at the heart of their community.”

Claire Fraser, defending, said in mitigation that her client had been homeless at the time and was drinking.

He was also gambling and seeking money from the burglaries to fund this habit, she said.

Littlemore Rugby Club is now appealing for funds in the wake of the burglary and said that any local business keen on sponsoring the club should contact them via their website at http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/littlemore