A MAN has been jailed following a spate of burglaries in Penparcau last month.

Marcus Carroll, 48, of 143 Middle Road, Cwmbwrla, Swansea, appeared before Swansea Crown Court where he admitted carrying out burglaries in Heol Tyn y Front and Gwel Afon on 2 August, taking items such as three dog clippers, a watch and a garden fork.

When Carroll was disturbed by one of his victims, he grabbed a kitchen knife with the victim having to defend himself with a skateboard, the court was told.

Carroll says he can remember little of the night due to his level of intoxication through alcohol and heroin.

Prosecutor, Tom Scapens, said that in the space of just over an hour Carroll broke into two houses and a garden shed from which the owner ran a dog grooming business.

The defendant took a range of items including parts of dog clippers, a lock from a child stair gate, a watch, and a garden fork.

The court was told that the two houses he entered were occupied and in one of the homes, Carroll came face to face with the people who lived there, one of whom was a pregnant woman.

The court heard that when he was disturbed, he armed himself with a large kitchen knife and began thrusting the weapon towards them.

His victim was forced to grab a skateboard and use it “in a shield motion” to protect himself from the blows.

Police were called and Carroll was arrested at the scene still in possession of the knife.

Carroll had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and to one of affray when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has 56 previous convictions for 224 offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, burglary, vehicle offences, and theft.

James Hartson, for Carroll, said the defendant had issues with alcohol and a long-standing heroin addiction and he described the spree of offending as “a bizarre set of circumstances which was reflective of his condition at the time”. He said his client had little memory of the events of the night but had instructed him that he would not have used the knife to harm anyone.

Judge Catherine Richards told Carroll that while intoxicated through drink and drugs he had broken into people’s properties at night and confronted them.

She said the “bold” assertion that the defendant would not have used the knife to hurt anyone was not a decision he could have made at the time because of his state and she said it must have been a frightening experience for all his victims.

Giving the defendant the required one-third discount for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced him to a total of 28 months in prison.

Carroll will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.