DETECTIVES hailed another victory in the battle against burglary this week, after a prolific offender was jailed for breaking into a house in the Lowestoft and stealing goods worth thousands of pounds.

Toby Mulholland was sentenced to 950 days in custody –equivalent to more than two years and seven months – after pleading guilty to burgling the home in Beresford Road in the early hours of Friday, July 2 last year.

Mulholland, 25, of Norwich Road, was given the sentence at Ipswich Crown Court last Wednesday after he admitted breaking into the terraced house by forcing a partially-open window and climbing in. Cash, digital cameras, a mobile phone, cigarettes and a quantity of jewellery were all stolen.

Mulholland was sentenced to 950 days, minus the 145 days he had already spent in custody awaiting his court appearance.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Insp Darrell Skuse, of Lowestoft CID, told The Journal: 'Following initial inquiries by police, and an examination of the property by scenes of crime officers where fingermarks were recovered, there was a fingerprint hit on Mulholland.

'Attempts were made to locate him and he was posted as wanted before he was arrested and charged on July 23.'

Det Insp Skuse praised the custodial sentence handed down. He added: 'The sentence given should act as a deterrent to those who continue to commit burglaries and show that the justice system as a whole treats these offences very seriously.'

In July 2009, The Journal reported that Mulholland had been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after he admitted nine burglaries, two offences of handling stolen goods, possession of a lock knife and theft of a bicycle.