A SERIAL burglar has been sentenced to eight years in prison after he was charged with more than 30 burglaries, two of which were in Orpington.
Bernard McDonagh, 48, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to 32 offences at St Albans Crown Court.
The Orpington burglaries took place on January 2 and January 24, in Thyer Close and Gladstone Road.
In both cases he called at the address claiming to work for the water board.
He asked his two female victims, aged 84 and 90, to run taps and, as they did, he stole jewellery, £600 and a purse from one and £300 and a purse from the other.
Other offences by McDonagh took place in Kent, London, Hampshire, Sussex, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands.
McDonagh, who often posed as an employee of a utility company targeting the elderly or vulnerable persons, was arrested after being investigated by detectives at the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate who worked closely with officers from other forces on the case.
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