A PERSISTENT thief, who admitted carrying out 43 burglaries, asked a Swindon judge to jail him so that he could save up enough money for a deposit on a bedsit.

And rough sleeper Darren Netherton got what he asked for. He was sent to prison for four years after Swindon Crown Court heard how he went out stealing weeks after being released from prison.

Netherton, a 36-year-old father of three, committed more than 40 break-ins at commercial premises across town during late spring and summer this year.

He was arrested after police found him hiding behind the chimney stack in the attic of his sister's home.

Netherton was released from prison in February this year after serving half of a two-year term imposed last year for four burglaries.

Gary Lucie, prosecuting, said that Netherton had been out of prison for 13 weeks when he returned to offending in May.

He was caught as a result of a break in at The Property Shop, in Commercial Road.

As well as £15 in petty cash being taken from the estate agents, it was also discovered that two cheques had been removed from towards the back of a cheque book.

Later that day Netherton tried to pay one of them into his own bank account after making it out for £648.

He was arrested almost five months later on October 21 and when he was questioned the following day he admitted the burglary and attempted deception.

"He said to the police he also wanted to clear up other matters in the Swindon area," Mr Lucie said.

He said that among the other places he had broken into was the Rodbourne Methodist Church, where he stole cash and food.

Mr Lucie told the court that Netherton had a long history of offending dating from 1981 when he was still a juvenile.

Netherton, of no fixed abode, admitted five counts of burglary, one of attempted deception and asked for 44 further offences, including 38 burglaries, to be taken into consideration.

Rob Ross, defending, said that his client realised he was facing a considerable prison term as he was out on licence for a previous sentence, which does not expire until April 24 next year.

He said that his client was remorseful for what he had done and was concerned about the offence at a church which he burgled as he hadn't eaten for 24 hours and was desperate for food.

He said "He hopes to go to prison where he can get fairly well paid work. If he gets a chance to save money while in prison he will come out with more than the £96 discharge grant. He will then have a buffer so he can find work and build from there."

Giles Sheldrick