A convicted burglar is back in prison after smashing his way into a house and stealing a bank card which he used to shop around Blackburn.

Nathan Chadwick, 28, entered the house in Delph Lane on March 9 and stole a laptop, charger, headphones, sliders, and a torch as well as the bank card.

On the same day, he went on to commit four acts of fraud with that card in shops around Blackburn.

The owners of the house had left their property securely locked for the day when they went out to Manchester, between 12.30pm and 10pm.

When they returned, they realised the rear window had been smashed and the security light and rear patio doors had been damaged to the cost of around £2,500.

Matthew Conway, prosecuting, said there was “evidence of ransack and muddy footprints over the furniture.”

The items stolen included a Dell laptop and charger worth £1,500, a torch worth £2, a set of headphones, some sliders worth £35, and an Amex bank card.

The frauds committed with the card started just before 9pm and ended shortly before 11pm and consisted of:

  • £1.70 at The Royal Sweet Centre
  • £19.50 at Rosehill Service Station
  • £21.87 at Morrisons
  • £6.87 at Superfine

Chadwick, of Snape Street, Darwen, was arrested on March 14 and remained silent during his interview.

He has six convictions for 19 offences between 2014 and 2018, including a seven-and-a-half year sentence for five house burglaries in 2018, suspended sentences for other burglaries in 2014 and 2017, and a community order for seven thefts from motor vehicles.

Judge Ian Unsworth, sitting at Preston Crown Court, sentenced Chadwick to two years and four months in prison.