A BURGLAR with a “truly awful” record has been jailed for committing a break-in just three days after he was released from prison.

David Shine, of no fixed address, has 26 convictions for 47 offences and on Friday he was given a 45-month prison sentence at Oxford Crown Court.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to targeting a house in Woodstock Road, Oxford, in his fourth domestic burglary in eight years on September 16.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, said the occupant of the house returned home at 10pm to find someone had carried out an “untidy search” of the house. Shine got in through a garden gate and French windows, neither of which were locked, and stole two cameras.

Police also found a can of Stella Artois, which the defendant had brought with him, in the garden.

Miss Olliver told Judge Ian Pringle that Shine was quickly picked by police in Woodstock Road. He had left his DNA on the French windows, enabling police to conclusively link him to the crime.

Shine was also convicted of breaking into properties in 2005, 2007 and 2010, meaning that he qualifies for a three-year minimum jail sentence.

Miss Olliver said he also wanted one other crime, entering a house in Appleton Road, Cumnor, with intent to steal on September 19, to be taken into consideration.

She added that the stolen cameras have never been recovered.

Timothy Greaves, defending, called the burglary opportunistic and no damage had been caused.

He said: “The defendant has been battling a drug addiction and homelessness since his teens.

“The problems that have blighted his life continued on his release from prison. He came out having not fully detoxed and went back to what he knows.”

Mr Greaves added that he could not argue that it would be “unjust” to impose the mandatory three-year sentence.

Judge Pringle told Shine: “You have a truly awful record, particularly in relation to burglaries.

“You need to realise that if you resort to crime so soon after being released from prison you are just going to get longer and longer sentences.”