‘Prolific’ burglar with 14 previous convictions is jailed for 4 years after breaking into Ipswich homes
Adrian Mills has been jailed for four years for burglary offences in Ipswich. - Credit: Archant
A prolific burglar who has broken into 15 homes in the last two decades is back behind bars thanks to a motorist who saw him acting suspiciously and followed him.
The woman was driving along Westerfield Road in Ipswich on June 6 when her attention was attracted by Adrian Mills who was riding unsteadily on a bike and carrying two holdalls close to the home of one of her neighbours, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
She rang the police and followed Mills along Valley Road, Colchester Road and into Sidegate Lane where she lost sight of him, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.
Police officers arrived promptly in the area and arrested Mills who was still on the bike he had stolen from the house in Westerfield Road.
When the bags he was carrying were searched, officers found jewellery, electrical items, a camera, clothing and money, worth a total of around £3,000 that he had also taken from the house.
Mills, 36, of no fixed address, admitted burglary and damaging a shed and asked for three offences to be considered.
Mr Crimp said one of the offences to be taken into consideration was a burglary at a house in Humber Doucy Lane, Ipswich, on June 2.
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Jailing Mills for four years Judge Martyn Levett described him as a “prolific” burglar and said he had 14 previous convictions for burglary dating back to 1999.
He said in the past Mills had been given a variety of sentences, including a suspended sentence and a drug rehabilitation order, but had “decided it was better to commit crime.”
Judge Levett said that on four occasions Mills had fallen foul of a three-year minimum jail term for burglars convicted of breaking into private homes three times.
He rejected a plea by Mills’ barrister, Dino Barricella, that his client was keen to change his ways and should be given the opportunity of a drug rehabilitation order.
Mr Barricella said Mills was released from prison in February and had been doing well until the end of May when he had not been able to get medication for his drug use.
He said Mills was remorseful and felt he was getting too old to keep committing burglaries.
