A CAREER house burglar who stole thousands of pounds of goods from across Gwent and beyond was jailed for seven years.

Serial burglar Dennis McGurgan, 41, originally from the Old Barn Estate, Newport, was sentenced on October 3 after admitting a series of house burglaries across Gwent, South Wales and London.

Newport CID officer DC Barry Redmond told the Argus: "Dennis McGurgan is a career dwelling house burglar with an appalling record who has been known to us since he was knee high to a grasshopper.

"He has spent the majority of his life in prison and it is with a huge sigh of relief that I tell you he has now been incarcerated for seven years.

"The community is a safer place with him behind bars."

McGurgan whose record dates back to when he was in his teens, was jailed in March 2004 for six years, while he was still on licence for a previous jail term.

But his sentence was later cut by appeal judges, after he claimed prison had made him a reformed character.

After his release though, he went on to commit further burglaries in Newport, Cwmbran and elsewhere around South Wales.

DC Redmond said: "He went through Newport at 100mph doing burglaries at any time of the day or night and preying on vulnerable people."

His targets included elderly people, he was involved in “creeper burglaries”, where the residents were sleeping in the house at the time, and he mostly stole electrical goods or jewellery.

He was picked up for the offences after being identified by forensic evidence left at every property he burgled and sent back to prison.

But in October 2007, he went on the run after being released to attend a drug rehabilitation programme.

He was caught several weeks later, in November, by DC Redmond, who spotted him while on patrol on the Old Barn Estate.

When the arresting officers searched him, they found £2,000 of jewellery on him including a diamond ring and a gold watch, from further house burglaries including some in Newport and Cwmbran.

But before he could be dealt with, he went on the run again, this time to London.

There, he was caught for yet more burglaries and despite initially denying any of the offences, finally admitted them all last Friday.

He was sentenced for two breaches, six burglaries and one attempted burglary.

Numerous other burglaries were also taken into account by the judge at Blackfriars Crown Court, who jailed him for seven years.

DC Redmond said: "Let this custodial sentence be an example to any would-be burglars that they will be investigated, prosecuted and sent to prison for a length of time if they commit such criminal activity."

The stolen jewellery has since been returned to the owners.