Career burglar who rifled through woman's underwear drawer in 21-home spree of break-ins is jailed for four years

A CAREER burglar who raided a serving soldier’s home, rifled through a mum’s underwear drawer and stole priceless sentimental jewellery has been jailed for four years.
Burglar Paul Anderson has been jailed for four years at Portsmouth Crown CourtBurglar Paul Anderson has been jailed for four years at Portsmouth Crown Court
Burglar Paul Anderson has been jailed for four years at Portsmouth Crown Court

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Paul Anderson crept into 21 families’ houses, stole children’s money boxes, ate food from a fridge and bizarrely took a scuba diving licence.

The 49-year-old held his head in his hands as victims’ statements revealing the devastating effect on their lives was read out by prosecutor Robert Harding.

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Lifelong criminal Anderson admitted six burglaries and asked for 15 to be taken into consideration in Hampshire, Surrey and London. In total he took at least £19,000 worth of goods.

Burglar Paul Anderson has been jailed for four years at Portsmouth Crown CourtBurglar Paul Anderson has been jailed for four years at Portsmouth Crown Court
Burglar Paul Anderson has been jailed for four years at Portsmouth Crown Court

Around 10 of the burglaries took place in Gosport, including on September 27 last year when he raided a 77-year-old widow’s flat in The Anchorage - taking sentimental jewellery given to her by her husband.

In a statement she said her home had been ‘violated’ by Anderson who ‘broke into my house and spent over an hour going through my personal belongings and eating food from my kitchen and drink from my fridge’.

She added: ‘I feel my little flat will never be the same again and the whole episode has left my feeling devastated.’

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Anderson, of Fawcett Road, London, has previously committed 30-40 burglaries, the court was told. He was on licence from a 40-month jail sentence imposed in 2016 when he carried out his spree.

Sentencing, Recorder Michael Bowes QC said his burglaries were of the ‘utmost gravity’ and he is a ‘career criminal’.

Addressing Anderson, he said: ‘You have a criminal record which stretches back to 1983 with a very large number of burglary and theft matters.

‘You’ve now reached the age of 49. You know precisely the effect it has on people. You have been told by courts relentlessly. The reality is you just don’t care.’

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Anderson repeatedly interrupted proceedings and at one point said: ‘I admitted most of those off my own back. I could’ve given it all back - [but] it was too late.’

The court heard a serving soldier’s home in London was burgled by Anderson and the serviceman’s five-year-old daughter had been found by her dad in the living room weeks later upset and shaking in the early hours of the morning worried about the ‘bad man’ coming back.

None of the occupants were in at the time of the burglaries but many of them were elderly.

Speaking about his release from jail Claire Jackson, for Anderson, said: ‘He went back on the crack cocaine quite badly and spiralled out of control from there.’

The burglaries stretched from 2015 to September 2018.

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Police staff investigator Catherine Cole said: ‘Anderson was arrested on October 29 following various enquiries, subsequent CCTV footage provided to us helped us to secure a charge.

‘A number of addresses were burgled by Anderson in Gosport during the autumn, I'm pleased that this sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending and hope that it provides some resolution for all of his victims.’