A BURGLAR has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after breaking into a house and ransacking the property.

Jason Lee Marshall targeted a house in Stanley Street, Southsea, in December last year and made off with jewellery, ornaments and electrical items, including a camera and a laptop.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard that the owners were "devastated" when they discovered the burglary.

The keys to a Range Rover parked outside the property were also stolen. The vehicle was started on the night of the break-in but was not driven away, the court heard.

A head torch and hand-held torch, left by Marshall, were found at the address and provided police with a DNA match.

Marshall, 44, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and was jailed.

Two other burglaries that occurred in Southsea in November 2019 and February this year, plus an offence of fraud, were into account.

Police Staff Investigator Catherine Cole said: “This burglary devastated the owners of the property, and we take reports extremely seriously as we understand how distressing it is knowing someone has entered your home when you are not there.

“Marshall showed no regard for his victims or their belongings, taking items that meant a great deal to them and leaving other sentimental possessions strewn across the house.

“This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who considers breaking into premises and stealing other’s possessions.”