A drug-taking thief - described as a professional burglar at the age of 19 - became a one-man crime wave breaking into homes and stealing treasured possessions.

Christian Judges, said to have a £100-plus a day crack cocaine habit, pedalled around Sittingbourne on his bike to burgle more than 20 houses, leaving some in a mess.

On one occasion he caused flooding by blocking the sinks in the kitchen and bathroom and leaving the taps turned on.

Another victim told of the devastation the crime caused her family and how she was left with only the jewellery she was wearing.

Before sentencing Judges, of Meads Avenue, to four years youth custody a judge said: “There was a significant degree of planning. This is a professional burglar. He was not acting on impulse.”

The teenager, who declares on his Facebook page “I don’t work”, admitted eight burglaries and an attempted burglary and asked for 12 other break-ins to be considered.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Judges used a screwdriver to pop open doors and would take a pillow slip from the properties to carry off his swag.

The offences in the charges were on consecutive days starting on February 21 when he broke into a home in Chatsworth Drive and stole jewellery.

Burglary number two was in Walsby Drive where jewellery, watches and keys were stolen.

The third one was in Yeates Drive, Kemsley, while the occupiers were asleep. He made off with £400 cash from savings tin.

Burglary number four was in Cobham Avenue where property stolen included an air rifle, as well as jewellery.

The fifth one was in Lyndhurst Grove. Cash in pounds and Euros and jewellery were stolen.

Burglary number six was in Grayshott Close. Property stolen included a Rolex bracelet, a Gucci watch, 1,000 Euros and £300.

The seventh one was in Ufton Lane where Judges blocked the plug holes and caused flooding.

He stole an iPhone, watches, jewellery and a jar containing £2 coins.

Burglary number eight was in Peel Drive where the occupier heard banging and then saw the intruder standing inside the front door. He ran to his bike and cycled off.

"It was a feature of most of the offences that you left a degree of mayhem behind" - Judge David Griffith-Jones

The attempted burglary was on March 3 in Putney Drive when Judges was caught red-handed by police as he was leaving a house with a pillow case containing watches and jewellery.

Prosecutor Thomas Benjamin said the teenager exited by a top floor window onto the porch. He threw the pillow case at officers but was arrested.

When interviewed, he said he wanted to “come clean” and made full admissions. He said he sold the stolen property to associates.

Police took him on a drive around and he identified properties he had burgled.

Judges, who had six previous convictions for 19 offences, including burglary in February 2015 and attempted burglary in May that year, was on licence at the time having been locked up for 84 days in January for criminal damage, possessing cannabis and shoplifting.

Philip Sinclair, defending, said Judges was drinking heavily by the age of 10 and started abusing drugs in his early teens.

“His drug addiction was essentially the only thing he was living for at the time of the offences,” he added.

“He really didn’t care what happened to him or anybody else.

“He has been inside about a month. He is a different young man now.”

Passing sentence, Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said: “I have the depressing task of having to sentence you for no less than 22 domestic burglaries.

“The seriousness of any offence of domestic burglary is measured not just in monetary value of items taken, it is also in sentimental value attached to personal items.

“Such an offence represents a violation of victims’ homes. There is an ongoing psychological effect that is likely to be long-lasting.

“It was a feature of most of the offences that you left a degree of mayhem behind when you conducted an untidy search.

“You wantonly vandalised one property by causing flooding.”