Prison for drug-addicted burglar who brought misery to hundreds of homes

Lincolnshire Police were forced to increase patrols in the village of Nettleham after residents reported a spate of summer burglaries while people were on holiday. The burglaries began in May and continued for several months, until unemployed heroin addict Mark Marriott was finally caught.

The 43-year-old, from Woodland Drive in North Anston, near Sheffield, even targeted two bungalows on the same country lane as Lincolnshire Police headquarters.

He was eventually caught after detectives trawled through vehicle registration plates to find a connection.

Marriott, who was already on the run after DNA linked him to a burglary near Chesterfield, was arrested after he crashed his car during a 80mph police chase near Skegness on Monday, November 1.

He produced 1,000 worth of gold jewellery taken from a house burglary in nearby Spilsby and admitted to officers: "I'm on the run, I'm facing six years."

Lincoln Crown Court heard Marriott went on to admit a further 201 burglaries. They included homes in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.

Jon Dee, prosecuting, told the court it was estimated Marriott had escaped with property valued at between 90,000 and 100,000.

Mr Dee added: "They were all very professional in nature. Marriott went to great lengths to avoid confrontation, visiting properties several times to make sure they were empty."

Stolen items include cash, electrical goods, jewellery and irreplaceable family heirlooms.

Passing sentence, Judge Sean Morris told Marriott: "You stole personal items from people who work hard and just want a quiet life.

"Tens and tens and tens of thousands of pounds worth of decent folks property was stolen so you could pump poison into your veins."