'Terrible' Portsmouth burglar who goaded victims and threw weapon is jailed for latest spree of raids

Stephen Clarke, 49, goaded his victims after being caught in the act when carrying out his break-ins before making off with items of ‘significant value’.

Clarke’s first burglary during his latest spree saw him gain entry to the Brewhouse pub in Guildhall Walk on November 14, 2018, when the landlord returned in the morning to find the criminal, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

‘He saw the defendant leaving on a bike through the back garden carrying a number of bags,’ prosecutor Pierce Power said.

Clarke, rubbing salt into the wound, shouted at the owner: ‘I’ll be back later to **** you up.’

He stole four tablets and a computer and left damage estimated to cost £10,000 after smashing doors and tills.

Clarke, who committed his first burglary in 1985 resulting in the then youth being sent to a detention centre, then targeted a city house in Somers Road on December 10, 2018.

‘The homeowner returned to find Mr Clarke climbing out of a bedroom window before he threw a bag at the man and a screwdriver,’ Mr Power said.

The thief made off with expensive items of jewellery.

The female homeowner said: ‘It was very traumatic. It has caused me anxiety and led me to have panic attacks.’

On December 18, Clarke raided another address before getting a taxi to a relative’s house where police tracked him down and arrested him after finding him with 15 bags.

Upon his arrest, Clarke said: ‘I did it. I just want to get it over with.’

He was then recalled to prison having committed the offence while on licence serving a 69-month sentence for burglary in 2014.

The court heard Clarke, of no fixed address, had served jail terms throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s – with his longest prison sentence coming in 2005 when he was locked up for seven years.

The defendant, who admitted two counts of burglary and a charge of handling stolen goods, was sent to prison for 54 months for his latest offences.

Judge William Ashworth said: ‘You have a terrible record. Your litany of burglaries means that you are a professional burglar.

‘You went equipped and took significant property and when disturbed (in the second burglary) used violence.’

SEE ALSO: Yobs blast fireworks into homes

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as our new Puzzles section.