A ‘ONE-MAN crime wave’ who terrorised Andover in a month-long campaign of burglaries has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.

Lee Stewart James, of no fixed abode, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on September 1 charged with 10 counts of burglary, theft and obstructing a police officer.

The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to the offences which saw him target non-dwelling premises including shops, offices, a place of worship, a community hall and a recreation centre between May 3 and June 9, this year.

James also asked that four other similar offences be taken into consideration when being sentenced.

The court heard how James had been in and out of prison for all his adult life, including most recently in 2014 when he was sentenced to four years.

Defending, Claire Wiggett, asked that instead of a custodial sentence James could be admitted to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme.

Her plea was supported by letters, including one from his probation officer claiming he saw a glimmer of hope in the offender.

She said: “It is my submission where this is a case where this defendant has shown glimmers of hope during his criminal lifestyle, and this is perhaps a last opportunity for him.

“He, in his own words, doesn’t underestimate the decision your honour has and the possibilities facing him.

“He says that a deal would ‘save my life and save my relationship with my son’.

“He wants to be seen taking responsibility by his son.”

Having heard the case for defence, however, Recorder of Salisbury His Honour Judge Andrew Barnett said that he had no alternative but to pass a custodial sentence.

He told James: “You are 39 years of age and between May 3 and June 9 it seems to me you embarked on what could probably be described as a one-man crime wave in Andover.

“On occasion you disturbed people in the premises, on occasions you caused damage, a fair amount of damage sometimes.

“And, despite the open submissions of your counsel, I have little alternative to consider that these matters fall, as far as the guidelines are concerned, into the top category because undoubtedly there were features that indicated greater harm with the ransacking of property and, on occasions, when other persons were present.

“As far as culpability is concerned, quite plainly there is a degree of planning for this way of criminality to take place.

“The most serious and exacerbating feature is of course your record.

“As I said you are 39 years of age you have been to the court on 29 previous occasions.

“The significant feature which leaps out of your records at me is the number of times you have committed dwelling house burglaries.

“As far as the attempt to wean you off drugs you have been assessed, unsuccessfully by the Society of St James, who say you are not suitable.

“People who commit this sort of criminality, people who attack premises time and time again, as you did, must pay the penalty.

“In a period of just over a month it seems no property in Andover was safe from your attentions.

“The one thing that can be said on your behalf is that you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and for that I can give you full credit of one third.

“That reduces that five-year sentence to three years and four months and that is the sentence I impose on each and every one of those 10 counts which you have pleaded guilty, concurrently.

“As far as the other matters are concerned, the attempted theft and obstructing the officer of the law, a sentence of two months and that will run concurrently also.”