A HAMPSHIRE man who was involved in a high speed police chase has been jailed for five years after he admitted committing two house burglaries and driving offences.

Daniel Malcolm appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, one count of dangerous driving and another of driving whilst disqualified.

He also asked for nine burglaries and one attempted burglary to be taken into consideration.

The court heard that Malcolm took a car, keys and cash from a house in Cambrian Way, Buckskin, Basingstoke, sometime on the night of February 10 this year.

He then took a motorbike and televisions during a burglary at an address in Pack Lane, Kempshott, Basingstoke, on the night of February 13.

The next day, he evaded police by driving at speed in a stolen car on a footpath which runs by the A30 before abandoning the vehicle on the Down Grange playing fields and running off. He was later arrested.

Judge Susan Evans sentenced Malcolm, 37, of Kings Road, South Ham, Basingstoke,  to a total of five years in prison, reduced from eight years for his early guilty pleas.

Speaking after the hearing, officer in the case PC Andrew Ferguson said: “I’m happy with the sentence given - a prolific burglar has been taken off the streets.

“The guilty pleas and subsequent sentence should provide some reassurance to the community that we take burglary offences extremely seriously and we will do all we can to make Basingstoke a hostile place for offenders.

“While burglary rates in Basingstoke are low, the offence is a force priority and earlier this year we carried out an operation to revisit victims of burglary in the town and offer crime prevention advice.”