A career burglar who in June was forced to call 999 on himself after getting stuck in a window has been jailed for his latest set of bungled break-ins.

Frederick Moulton, who was given a community order in the summer for a hapless raid in Groundwell Road, also asked the court to take into consideration break-ins at MP Tiles and the Tap and Barrell pub on Manchester Road in May.

Judge Peter Crabtree told the 53-year-old’s barrister: “He has become a burglar who’s not very good at being a burglar.”

Pushpanjali Gohil, defending, shot back: “He’s rubbish. The unsophisticated nature of his criminal activity [would be] almost farcical if it wasn’t criminal.”

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Frederick Moulton's police custody shot Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

Swindon Crown Court heard Moulton had smashed his way through a slate roof last July in order to get into the offices of Helping Hands, a care company based in Commercial Road.

He ransacked the offices, stealing a laptop, laptop bag and two Samsung mobile phones.

Prosecutor Lucie Stoker said Moulton had dislodged asbestos in the roof during his efforts to get into the office, meaning staff were unable to return to work for a day while specialists made the office safe.

His DNA was a match for blood smeared on the wall near where he’d broken in.

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More than a year later - and after he’d twice been sentenced for other burglaries - he was caught trying to get into a house in Rayfield Grove, Ferndale.

The owners arrived at the house, which was being renovated at the time, on September 13 this year to find Moulton outside chipping away at window sealant.

The male homeowner went up to the window unnoticed by Moulton and banged on the glass. The thief ran off while his victim chased him. He was able to get away on a bicycle but was later picked out in an identity parade.

The defendant asked for two other burglaries to be taken into consideration by the judge. On May 8 he had broken into MP Tiles and the Tap and Barrel pub, both on Manchester Road.

The court heard Moulton was a prolific burglar, with 29 non-dwelling burglaries and six house break-ins to his name. His catalogue of offending dated back to the 1980s.

Defending, Ms Gohil said her client was struggling with his mental health while in prison on remand, where as a result of the pandemic he was being held on 23-hour lockdown. He was still waiting for an appointment with the doctor.

She said her client had suffered from addiction, but he had been clear in his instructions to the barrister: “Mr Moulton isn’t asking me to put forward a sob story.” He wanted to wipe the slate clean.

Moulton, formerly of Spring Close, admitted attempted burglary and non-dwelling burglary.

Judge Crabtree sentenced Moulton to 18 months’ imprisonment.