A BURGLAR who targeted two homes in Penrith in three days is to be sentenced by a Carlisle Crown Court judge.

John Donakey, 56, who is already awaiting sentence for a number of similar matters, raided a house in Croft Avenue, Penrith, on June 20; and then he burgled another house three days later in Maple Drive, stealing a pair of binoculars.

The defendant, of Bexhill Gardens, St Helens, admitted both offences.

Prosecutor George Shelley told Carlisle's Rickergate court that police arrested the defendant on June 23, and carried out a search of both his house and his car, finding the stolen binoculars in the boot of the defendant’s vehicle.

The prosecutor pointed out that both burglary victims were elderly had been present in their homes when Donakey carried out the burglaries and so both were vulnerable. The defendant is also due to be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court for other “similar matters,” said Mr Shelley.

Donakey had used a similar method to carry out the newly prosecuted offences, Mr Shelley told the court, adding that the case should be sent to the crown court so it can be dealt with alongside the others.

The court heard that Donakey’s criminal record consisted of 45 previous offences, and 20 of those were theft and kindred offences. Mr Shelley said the defendant’s latest offences will expose him to a minimum term of imprisonment under the so-called “three-strikes” rule now applied by courts.

The law dictates a minimum three-year jail sentence for any offender who accrues three burglary convictions.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction and sent the case to the crown court to be heard alongside the other outstanding cases on August 26.

In an earlier hearing at Carlisle crown Court, Donakey admitted attempting to burgle three properties in the Penrith area in one night, June 22.

The homes involved one in Maple Drive, Penrith, and two in Clifford Road. The defendant also admitted an offence, committed on the same occasion, of “going equipped for burglary.” The implement he had was a screwdriver.

The defendant was convicted of a burglary in 1994.