A serial thief with more than 100 previous convictions raided the Canterbury home of an airline pilot and stole his car while he slept.

But it was burglar Lee Birch who had his wings clipped when he was sent to prison.

Victim Alistair Brady had returned to his home in Roper Road in April after finishing his shift and slumped on his sofa for a few hours.

Later, the pilot went to bed – unaware 33-year-old Birch was outside looking for somewhere to break into.

Prosecutor Jim Harvey told how the serial thief let himself in through a conservatory – and stole the keys to Mr Brady's Peugeot car.

Meanwhile Birch, of River Bend Close, Canterbury had been stopped by police in Herne Bay and found to be in possession of cannabis, amphetamines and a set of car keys.

Mr Harvey said it was only when Mr Brady reported the break-in and police had checked ANPR cameras they spotted Birch at the wheel of the stolen car on the A28 near Sturry.

The officer returned to the area where the thief was stopped – and found the car parked nearby, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Birch, who was jailed for 40 days for the drugs offences, was given another 16 months after admitting burglary and his eighth charge of driving without insurance.

Mr Harvey said Birch's record included 103 previous offences – almost half of them for theft "and kindred offences".

Philip Rowley, defending, said Birch had been battling his drugs addiction for 18 years.

Judge Simon James told him: "You have an appalling record. In 18 years you have appeared before courts on 45 occasions for well over 100 previous offences – more than half for dishonesty.

"While your victim was asleep upstairs, you were downstairs helping yourself to his property – and it won't be much conciliation to him that the person downstairs was a drug addict. It is more likely to have added to the sense of insecurity he must have felt."

And he warned him that if he is convicted again for burglary he faced a minimum three-year jail term as a three-striker.

Birch was also banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.