A 43-year-old man has been jailed for admitting to burglary and committing criminal damage.

Dennis Skiller, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary dwelling and theft (no violence) and one count of criminal damage to property valued under £5,000 in a hearing at Aylesbury Crown Court on October 21.

This is in relation to an incident one month earlier.

Between 10pm and 11pm on September 21, Skiller broke into a property in Hanmer Road, Simpson, Milton Keynes and stole the occupant’s handbag, which contained her purse, bank cards, car keys and other personal belongings.

The victim, a woman aged in her 80s, was upstairs in the property at the time, but was not harmed.

Skiller left the address via the back garden and was seen in the garden of an adjacent property and was detained until police arrived.

While the homeowner detained him, Skiller damaged the garden gate belonging to the homeowner.

He will spend two years and eight months behind bars.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Steve Purser of the Milton Keynes Priority Crime team said: “Burglary and acquisitive crime is an offence that causes great distress in our communities and we are committed to prosecuting those who seek to commit such offences.

“I would like to thank the member of the public who detained Skiller until police arrived, and I am pleased that Skiller pleaded guilty and was given a prison sentence as a result.

“I hope that this outcome goes some way to reassuring our communities that we will always investigate and tackle burglaries, and put offenders before the courts where they belong.”