A BRAVE Stroud woman who confronted a serial burglar in her home was pinned against a stairpost by him and then pushed to the ground as she pursued him into the front garden, a court heard yesterday (Sept 29).

Cassius Adamson, 37, of London Road, Stroud, was jailed for three years and nine months at Gloucester Crown Court after he admitted burgling the victim's home in Slad road on August 6 this year, and being racially abusive to a black custody officer after his arrest.

The court heard that Adamson had started out on his criminal career when he was just 10 years old and now has almost 70 burglary convictions on his record.

Prosecutor Ellen McAnaw said the householder was in her back garden on August 6, expecting her husband home from work at any time. She heard the front door open and thought it was her husband.

But her dog started barking so she knew something was wrong.

"She went into the house and was confronted by the defendant in the corridor," said the prosecutor.

She shouted at him and he turned around and knocked into her, pinning her against the bottom stairpost, then left the house.

She followed him outside and he pushed her, causing her to lose balance and fall onto the grass.

"She shouted to her son, who was upstairs, to help her as the defendant walked away," said the prosecutor.

"Her son saw what was happening from an upstairs window and chased after the defendant."

Adamson was arrested nearby a short time later and was taken into the police custody centre where he resisted being taken to the cells and was racially abusive to the custody officer.

Ms McAnawa said Adamson has a bad criminal record, with either 68 or 69 previous dwelling burglary convictions.

Matthew Harbinson, defending, said that before the latest offences Adamson had genuinely felt he was making progress in his efforts to reform and had even volunteered the week before the offences to be electronically tagged and monitored.

Jailing Adamson for a total of 45 months Recorder Emma Zeb told him: "You knocked the householder over and both of you ended up on the floor. But I do not find that you intentionally pushed her or that there was any intentional violence on your part.

"You are in a sad and sorry cycle of burglary, going into custody, coming out and burgling again. There has been a distinct lack of rehabilitation."