Paul Gilbert jailed for series of Norfolk burglaries

Paul Gilbert, 35, targeted 17 homes under the cover of darkness breaking in through patio doors, windows and on one occasion through oa cat flap.

During one incident an elderly woman sleeping on a sofa awoke to see a man dressed in black creeping out of her front door and discovered her bedroom had been ransacked and irreplaceable valuables stolen.

He carried out another break-in on New Year’s Eve.

Paul Gilbert, of York Road, Great Yarmouth, had pleaded guilty to three burglaries in February at two static caravan homes on Mallard Way at Burgh Castle, near Bradwell and at a bungalow on Westerley Way in Caister.

After cooperating with police he asked for a further 14 break-ins between December 2022 and March 2023 to be taken into consideration.

Norwich Crown Court was told most were committed at night and involved Gilbert either forcing entry at the back of the house, or getting in through an open window or unlocked door.

Prosecuting Eleanor Sheerin said he had known some of the victims and that he had a “pattern of breaking into the homes of elderly and vulnerable people”.

The former Banham Poultry factory worker had 16 previous convictions for 23 offences including previous burglaries, the court heard.

His latest break-ins were committed while on licence after being released from an earlier prison sentence. 

John Morgans, mitigating, said his offending was the result of his addiction to heroin. 

He said: “He is rightly thoroughly ashamed of what he has done. His remorse is genuine. He doesn’t make any excuses and looks back with nothing but shame, but undeniably his offending was a consequence of a significant drug addiction.

“When in the grip of this addiction he was thinking of nothing more than getting his next fix.”

Jailing him for five years, Judge Janet Waddicor told Gilbert his victims had been left terrified by the burglaries.

One had since had to move home due to fears he would return, another woman who had lived in her home for 42 years “no longer feels safe and finds it difficult to sleep”. 

Insp Bob Cairns, of Norfolk police, said: “Paul Gilbert is a prolific offender. His actions have created multiple victims who have been made to feel vulnerable in their own homes and may suffer lasting trauma.

“Through the investigative and TIC process we have been able to detect other crimes and hopefully bring some closure for the victims.”