BURGLAR Casey Goble angrily protested his innocence as he was jailed for three years for breaking into a house on Earl Bathurst's Cirencester Park Estate.

Goble, 35, of Melmore Gardens, Cirencester, told Recorder Simon Privett: "It's a joke. I hope you sleep well at night sending an innocent man to prison."

He had denied entering the Mansion Lodge in Park Street, Cirencester, with intent to steal but was convicted by a jury at Gloucester Crown Court last month.

The conviction made him a 'three strikes’ burglar liable to a minimum of three years prison because of previous burglaries on his lengthy criminal record.

The jury had found him guilty after a neighbour said he saw Goble inside the house and filmed him walking away from the property.

Goble had been able to get in without causing any damage because the householder had left his door unlocked. Nothing was taken and there were only minimal signs of entry.

Prosecutor Tim Hills said Goble has an 'extensive criminal record' and has been convicted of domestic burglaries five times in the last ten years.

Steve Young, defending asked the court to consider an exceptional community sentence because of the circumstances of the offence and Goble's own circumstances.

Goble's most recent burglary conviction had been in July 2007 when he had been given the chance to detox from his heroin addiction at a centre in Portugal, said Mr Young.

Since then, he said, Goble had stayed off heroin although he was still in need of the substitute methadone.

"He has achieved a great deal," Mr Young said. "If he goes back into custody he will lose his accomodation. He also fears he will relapse back into drugs misuse in prison. People in prison are faced with a plethora of drugs being available."

Jailing Goble, Recorder Privett said: "You have got a long criminal record with thirty one previous appearances for 51 offences, including 11 dwelling house burglaries over the last 20 years."