BUNGLING burglar Matthew Cracknell is behind bars today after a judge said he would have to be completely stupid to give him another chance.Adding insult to injury Recorder Guy Ayres told Cracknell, of Connaught Road, Ipswich, he was an incompetent after hearing the failed thief left blood at the scene of two burglaries, which led police to his identity.

BUNGLING burglar Matthew Cracknell is behind bars today after a judge said he would have to be completely stupid to give him another chance.

Adding insult to injury Recorder Guy Ayres told Cracknell, of Connaught Road, Ipswich, he was an incompetent after hearing the failed thief left blood at the scene of two burglaries, which led police to his identity.

The 23-year-old drug addict was appearing before judge Ayres at Ipswich Crown Court for sentencing on two counts of burglary.

The hearing came after Cracknell admitted the charges when he appeared before Ipswich magistrates on July 31.

The court was told Cracknell had committed a catalogue of offences between December 2003 and April this year.

Judge Ayres was also told Cracknell had appeared in crown court twice before and been given the chance to take part in a drug treatment programme both times.

But both times he had re-offended just a month after being spared jail.

In the latest burglaries, Cracknell had broken into a house in Diss on May 18 after smashing a window, but had a left a trail of blood behind him.

Also in May, he had forced his way into a house in Carlyle Close, Ipswich but this time left behind a blood stained baseball cap. He stole £500 in cash and a camera worth £500 from the house.

Asking Mr Ayres to consider a third drug treatment order, Cherie Parnell said in mitigation: "These were not sophisticated crimes. He does have mental health problems and is prone to self harm."

But Mr Ayres said: "Wouldn't I have to be completely stupid to give him yet another chance because of the inevitability that he would carry on offending like he has done before?"

Mr Ayres also said that because Cracknell had twice broken the treatment orders he would be re-sentenced for the 12 previous offences as well as the two recent ones.

"You are not a particularly good burglar because you tend to leave things behind that help the police catch you," he told Cracknell.

"But the fact you are incompetent does makes this any less serious.

"There comes a time in my view when where the interests of society at large take precedent over your personal interest, and you have shown in my view you can't take advantage of a community based punishment. These offences are so serious they can only be dealt with by a custodial sentence."

For all the matters between December 2003 and April this year, Cracknell was sentenced to 15 months in prison and a further concurrent three months for a theft that had been previously adjourned.

For the two more recent burglaries, he was sentenced another 15 months to run consecutively, bringing the total sentence to 30 months.