A “BRAZEN and greedy” burglar broke into people’s homes as they slept and stole an array of items – including food.

Graham Hill, 38, broke into ten homes and three business in Southampton during a four month burglary spree.

He targeted three homes on more than one occasion.

Now Hill has been jailed for more than seven years after pleading guilty to seven burglaries and asking a judge to take into consideration a further 11 offences.

Southampton Crown Court heard how Hill committed the burglaries between July and October 2019.

He crept into people’s houses while they were sleeping and stole various items, including food, jewellery and mobile phones.

Hill targeted homes multiple times, breaking into one home on Radway Road twice.

He entered two houses on Brookvale Road twice and a home on Winchester Road once.

Hill was caught following an investigation, named Operation Hawk, by a team based at Southampton Central Police Station.

When arrested, he was found with stolen items in his possession, including keys to a house he had burgled, and evidence on his phone that he had been trying to sell the items he had taken.

Later, officers used CCTV and forensic evidence to link him to his crimes.

Hill pleaded guilty to seven burglaries and admitted his part in six other burglaries committed in the Portswood and Bassett areas, plus three commercial burglaries, handling stolen goods, and fraud where he used one of the bank cards he stole.

Hill was jailed or seven years and six months.

Detective Sergeant Simon Price of the Operation Hawk team said: “Hill’s crimes will have had a huge effect on his victims.

“Not only were people’s houses entered and their property taken, but Hill was brazen and greedy enough to break onto homes while his victims were sleeping, more than once, with no care for the lasting impact this would have on them.”

“He survived on committing crimes until we were able to apprehend him and put a stop to his offending. Burglary is a terribly intrusive crime and we hope this shows communities in Southampton that burglars like Hill will face justice.”