A YORK jewellery burglar is today starting three-and-a-half years in jail for two house raids in the city, including one just before Christmas.

Trevor Peter West also faces special attention from the criminal justice agencies on his release, as part of an initiative to cut down on burglaries in the city.

Probation officer Michael Pavlovic told York Crown Court that when the burglar is released on licence, he will have special sessions on stopping his offending behaviour and will also receive support on getting a law-abiding job.

He was referring to a joint police and probation scheme targeting persistent offenders who burgle houses in the city. It does not form part of a criminal's sentence.

The court heard that West, now a 27-year-old father, started in crime aged 12 and committed his first burglary while still a juvenile. He has several convictions for theft. He has also served six years for violence, including 12 months for an offence of actual bodily harm committed while in prison.

West, of Burton Stone Lane, York, pleaded guilty to two burglaries in late 2002.

Jailing him for three-and-a-half years, Recorder Geoffrey Marson QC said one of his raids had upset a victim so much, she felt sick and anxious in the home where she had lived for nearly 20 years.

Andrew Woolman, prosecuting, said West broke into a home in Foss Islands Road on October 7 while the occupants were sleeping and stole nearly £200 in cash and other items. He was arrested three days later and, despite police matching his trainers to shoemarks found at the scene, denied being responsible for the raid. Released on bail, he staged a daytime raid in Greystoke Road, Rawcliffe, on December 20 and stole jewellery worth nearly £1,500. He was arrested on December 23 wearing different trainers. They matched shoeprints found at the second house.

For West, David Bradshaw said he stole because he was short of money and used the proceeds of the raids to live on. He was not a drug addict. West was not a persistent burglar and had no burglaries on his record after 1993, he said.

Updated: 08:34 Tuesday, March 25, 2003