A MAN with a history of burglary has been jailed after he was caught driving a stolen car only half an hour after it was taken in a break-in.

Lee Fitchett was still on licence from a previous prison term when he was spotted behind the wheel of a Peugeot 205 stolen during a burglary.

But after hearing that the 23-year-old had spent five months in custody for breaching the terms of release for his previous sentence Judge John McNaught decided to pass a two-month jail term.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that a man was seen loitering outside a house on Pheasant Close, Covingham, at 1pm on December 23 last year.

She said the car was then taken from the property using the keys which were stolen along with other items in a burglary.

"In fact it was half an hour later the defendant was stopped by the police, being the only occupant of the car," she said.

Fitchett, of Milton Road, was originally charged with the burglary but insisted he had not been responsible.

He told police that he had been picked in the car up by two men and was driving it when they fled the scene when they spotted the police.

Although he pleaded guilty to handling the vehicle, he denied he had touched any of the other items which had been stolen, including a laptop computer.

The court heard that he had 100 previous convictions for a variety of offences and was jailed for three years in May 2003 for burglary.

On that occasion he was disturbed as he raided a house and ran off but was caught by DNA evidence after as he had soiled the floor. But when he was questioned after being arrested in possession of some of the property, he lied to police saying he was walking along the road and was given the items by another man.

That offence took place weeks after he was released from a two-year sentence imposed in November 2001 for burglary when he crashed a car loaded with electrical goods which had been taken.

Chris Smyth, defending, said that his client had been in custody since his arrest on December 22.

He said that the time he had served had been from his last sentence as he had breached the conditions of his licence by committing the new offence.

Mr Smyth said the time already served would not be deducted from any sentence the court passed meaning he had already done the equivalent of 10 months behind bars.

"He is a man who has previously had a drug issues. He is drug free now. Having availed himself of the gym facilities he is fit and well."

Passing sentence, the judge said: "You have 100 previous offences, it is getting a huge record for a man of 23 and you can expect sentences to get longer and longer as time passes.

"I think if I were dealing with this case today as it stood with your record I would be considering nine months.

"But you have spent quite a time in custody as you have been recalled so I will reduce that to two months."