A 'third strike' burglar has been jailed for three years after he broke into a Gloucester house while the woman occupant was asleep and stole her bank cards and a set of golf clubs.

At Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday (February 23) prosecutor Catherine Flint said Luke Pegg, 31, of Matson Lane, Gloucester, was identified by fingerprints he left at the scene and also from CCTV security at a nearby shop.

The CCTV showed him leaving the property carrying a set of golf clubs.

Ms Flint said: "The lady went to bed at her home in Painswick Road, Gloucester, as usual on December 6, 2022, after checking that all doors and windows had been locked. A conservatory window had been left open for ventilation.

"At 5am, the woman was awoken by her phone alerting her to the fact that financial transactions were being made on her bank account.

"The woman got out of bed and went downstairs to get her purse where her bank cards were kept. She immediately noticed that her handbag had been emptied and that her purse containing £200 had been stolen along with her driving licence and bank cards.

"The woman then realised that she had been burgled when she saw the conservatory door was open. A set of golf clubs, valued at around £1,000, had also been stolen."

The victim told the court in a statement that she needed her driving licence that morning to undergo training to drive a minibus.

The woman also stated that it took two hours to complete the administration to cancel the bankcards. She explained that the incident has left her feeling anxious and that she had become obsessive over her home security.

"I'm afraid to leave windows open in the house while I am at home," she stated.

"I hope the defendant shows remorse over his actions and realises the impact it has had on me."

Having been identified from CCTV and his fingerprints found at the scene, Pegg was arrested on December 31, but said he could not recall the incident due to his drug habit.

The prosecutor said that Pegg had a number of previous convictions for dwelling burglaries as well as burglaries from commercial buildings. She pointed out this offence was aggravated because it was committed at night while the occupant was asleep upstairs.

Pegg admitted the burglary of a house in Painswick Road in Gloucester on December 6, 2022, and the theft of £200, bank cards, a driving licence, and a set of golf clubs.

Lloyd Jenkins, defending, said Pegg acknowledged that as a third strike burglar subject to a minimum three-year sentence he would be going to prison.

"Sadly, the facts speak for themselves, and he acknowledges the impact his actions have had on his victim," Mr Jenkins said.

Pegg shouted out from the dock: "I take full responsibility for what I did. I am a drug addict and have no recollection of what I did that night, but I do accept that it was me on the CCTV evidence."

Judge Martin Picton told Pegg: "There is very little in the way of mitigation, except for your guilty plea. Your victim has had her life turned upside down and the impact of your actions have radically changed her lifestyle.

"Your position is made even more serious because of your previous convictions for similar matters."

The judge sentenced Pegg to three years in prison and ordered him to pay a mandatory surcharge.