THE victims of notorious burglar Darren Nicholas have spoken of their disbelief after the man who ransacked their home while on probation for a previous burglary spree was spared a jail term.

Richard and Cathryn Everitt told the Daily Echo they were "appalled" that Nicholas had not been sent back to prison after breaking into their Swanmore home.

Mrs Everitt, 51, said: "My initial reaction was that I just couldn't believe it. We are appalled and angry.

"If this had been his first offence then maybe that would be easier to understand but his record speaks for itself, so to give him chance after chance is disgraceful.

"For weeks afterwards we felt quite unnerved in our own house. We slept with the light on and every noise made me jump. Even now I don't feel the same about this house."

Mr Everitt, 57, said: "We're rarely all out of the house at the same time and our son was the one who came home first. There was mud and blood everywhere and every room had been turned upside down. It was just a horrible feeling."

It was later discovered Nicholas, 29, was still on licence after serving a jail term for his part in carrying out a series of burglaries across Hampshire and two other counties.

In 1996 more than 100 Hampshire detectives were searching for Darren Nicholas. He was part of the notorious gang who targeted upper-class homes.

When they were caught the gang received a combined custodial sentence of about 100 years.

After serving five years of a nine-year sentence for conspiracy to burgle, Nicholas, of Bishopsfield Road, Fareham, was let out on probation. But he was arrested again for breaking into the Everitts' home in November.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Nicholas, who admitted a charge of burglary and breaching bail, broke in while the family were away for the night.and blood at the scene was later matched to his.

Detectives were confident he would be returned to prison but instead at Portsmouth Crown Court recorder Karol Lasok gave him a six-month community rehabilitation order and made him sign a contract promising he would stay off drugs for a year.

He told heroin addict Nicholas, who has 46 previous convictions: "The reason you committed the offence was because of your drug habit. That is the only reason why I am not sending you to prison.

"There is a possibility that through a drug treatment and testing order you will get yourself on to the straight and narrow."

The sentence has been branded "disgraceful" by detectives.

Det Con Neil Cunningham said: "We were all absolutely stunned by that sentence.

"What sort of message does that send out to people if they see that a man who was one of Hampshire's main targets was allowed to walk from court?

"That undermines all the work we do to ensure people like Nicholas are off the streets. It is a disgraceful sentence and one that does no good for the community at all."