A man with an extensive criminal history has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after being convicted of two residential burglaries.

Lewis Thompson, aged 38, was found guilty by a jury at Oxford Crown Court.

The defendant had denied involvement in the offences but was nevertheless convicted.

The court was told that Thompson had targeted a property on Charles Street in September 2024.

A cleaning operative discovered the intrusion after noticing a broken window while the residents were away on vacation.

Items including a laptop, television, jewellery and sporting equipment were taken, with the total value assessed at approximately £23,000.

Thompson was also dealt with for additional offences committed on separate occasions.

These included another residential burglary occurring in December of the previous year and a commercial break-in at Formosan Tea Bar on High Street in Oxford, which took place in January of the current year.

Cash amounting to £350 was taken from the tea establishment.

The prosecutor, Tom Blackburn, indicated that the value of goods stolen during the December residential burglary fell between £15,000 and £20,000.

Mohammed Najadi, a co-accused, had previously received a prison sentence for his involvement in the Charles Street incident.

One of the householders, Celia Tezel, had provided a written account of the impact the crime had on her life.

In her statement, she described how the theft occurred while she and her family were enjoying their summer break.

She explained that upon returning home, she found the residence in disarray and was unable to eat for several days.

The stolen items included a ring that had belonged to her grandmother, which she described as her final memento of that relative.

She stated that the property felt hollow after the intrusion and that she no longer felt secure in her neighbourhood.

The statement also detailed ongoing psychological effects, including anxiety, panic attacks and difficulty sleeping without illumination.

She had visited charitable retailers in an attempt to locate the missing ring, describing it as the keepsake of a woman who had enriched her childhood years with happiness and affection.

During his court appearance, Thompson told the jury that he did not commit residential burglaries, describing such activity as contrary to his personal principles.

The court was informed that Thompson has accumulated 51 prior convictions encompassing 104 separate offences.

The prosecuting barrister acknowledged this extensive record while noting that the current matters represented his first convictions for dwelling-related burglaries.

The defence counsel, Laura Blackband, submitted that her client had spent seven months on remand and had achieved abstinence from illegal substances.

She argued that appropriate drug rehabilitation programmes would be more beneficial than imprisonment, suggesting that without such intervention, further offending would likely follow within a short period.

Passing sentence, Judge Ian Pringle KC observed that the defendant had removed a substantial quantity of valuable items from their rightful owners.

His Honour commented that without significant change, Thompson would continue cycling through the prison system, describing his prior record as thoroughly deplorable.

Thompson, who had no fixed address, was committed to custody to serve the aggregate term imposed.