A BURGLAR responsible for a ‘one man crime wave’ in Thornbury has been jailed for two years.

Homeless Martyn Kay, 37, committed more than 40 burglaries from houses and sheds in the town, making off with three cars after stealing the keys as well as taking laptops, mobile phones and wallets.

He never forced entry to the properties but was an 'opportunist' who went through unlooked doors and windows, sometimes when the owners were inside, Bristol Crown Court heard today (May 18).

Kay, who was too ill to be sentenced last week, repeatedly used an inhaler as he sat in the dock in a grey tracksuit during the hearing.

He previously admitted three charges, two of burglary and one of theft from a car, but was released from HMP Bristol ‘in error’, after being granted technical bail for another offence, before he could be sentenced.

He was arrested in Combermere, Thornbury last week after several members of the public identified him.

Prosecuting, Caighli Taylor said most of the burglaries had taken place in February this year.

In the first, on February 2, he was spotted on CCTV trying the door handle to a property in Combermere and between February 7 and 8 he stole a Nokia mobile phone from a house in Church Road while the female resident was inside.

Miss Taylor said after his initial arrest at Thornbury Library on February 8, Kay took police officers to the garage he was living in and they found the stolen phone and a Tom Tom satnav.

“There are 45 other offences to be taken into consideration,” she said. “Forty of them relate to dwelling burglaries, two are non-dwelling burglaries from sheds, two thefts from vehicles and one Vagrancy Act offence when he was in someone’s garden he should not have been.

“All the burglaries saw him going through unlocked doors.”

Defending, Tabby Macfarlane said Kay’s life had ‘crashed around him’ last year when his mother became very ill and his foster parents disowned him.

“Sadly his mother became very well which has led to a decline in his mental health and his homelessness,” she said.

“His mother suffers from Huntington’s disease and is dying, she struggles with mental health and he was fostered as a child. I have spoken to his former foster parents and they felt they could no longer assist him, which they felt bad about but had to look after their family.”

She added: “He put his head in the sand about his own mental health, which is not good.”

Sentencing Kay, who has previous convictions including the last offence in 2004 for battery, Judge James Patrick said the number of burglaries Kay had committed was ‘shocking’.

He said: “This was a one-man crime wave in the Thornbury area.

“The burglaries were relatively unsophisticated. In respect of most of them you tried doors and if they were open then you went in and stole. The people of Thornbury presumably used to think they were safe.

“You stole three cars and took other car keys and were hoping to steal other cars and took house keys intending to go back.

“These offences are aggravated by the fact there were so many.”

He added: “You are a man of some problems. Your admissions and your problems mean I will significantly reduce the sentence I first had in mind.”

Kay was sentenced to two years for each of the two burglaries and four months for theft from a car, which he will serve concurrently. He will eligible for release in a year. No orders were made for costs or compensation.