A BUNGLING burglar who stole a grandmother’s savings for her grandchildren was caught after he left a hand print at the scene of the crime.

Jack Isaacs of Avenue Road in Trowbridge was caught through the palm print he left at the house he ransacked, Salisbury Magistrates' Court heard on Friday.

Isaacs admitted the burglary at Westleigh in Warminster on August 16 in which hundreds of pounds' worth of cash and jewellery was taken from his victim in her 70s.

“She lives in her house alone, other than her dog. She went out for a walk with her dog and some friends,” Kate Prince, prosecuting, said.

At around 3.30pm the victim returned home to find that a lounge window was open and her net curtain had fallen down.

The grandmother noticed that her jewellery box was downstairs and she suspected she may have been the victim of a burglary.

She went into the kitchen to see if anyone was in the property and she noticed that two cupboard doors were open.

Ms Prince said among the items stolen was around £240 saved up in four pots which the victim was saving for her grandchildren for Christmas.

Isaacs had also taken £50 worth of change collected in a whiskey bottle, the victim’s purse including cash and cards, and jewellery.

“She feels very angry about this offence and very angry that someone has been touching her things,” Ms Prince added.

In a statement the victim added that she felt worried every time she went out and fearful of it happening again.

Magistrate Simon Browning heard that the 33-year-old was put at the scene after detectives found his palm print on the window used to get into the house.

In mitigation Hita Mashru said Isaacs broke into the house to fund his heroin habit but insisted that he mainly acted as a lookout during the incident.

“On his own admission he said ‘I have a problem, I do still have a drug problem,” Mrs Mashru said.

She said Isaacs was not on benefits and also did not want to be a burden on his family so stole to fund his habit.

Isaacs also admitted two further counts of theft including a Dyson cleaner from B&M Stores and a £30 bottle of whisky.

He also was found in breach of his licence for another sentence by failing to attend and engage with the probation service.

Mr Browning jailed Isaacs for eight-and-a-half months.