A BURGLAR who stole cash and left a trail of damage after targeting three Bradford primary schools has been jailed today for 27 months.

A judge told 36-year-old John Stokes that he was “making a career” out of crime and had not given any thought to the staff and children at the schools he attacked earlier this year.

During Stokes’ sentence hearing this morning, it emerged he had previous convictions for attacks on schools and he received a community order, which included a curfew, for a school burglary last December.

Prosecutor Jon Gregg told Bradford Crown Court that Stokes’ latest offences were committed overnight on April 27 and May 2 when he broke into three schools.

During the first attack at Killinghall Primary, Stokes used a large stone to smash his way into the school office were he carried out an untidy search. Mr Gregg said Stokes left blood at the scene and the broken window cost more than £300 to repair.

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A few days later, Stokes burgled Crossley Hall Primary and Reevy Hill Primary on the same night.

During the first burglary Stokes again used a stone to break in before damaging internal doors as he searched the premises.

He also tried to force open a safe, but was unsuccessful.

Mr Gregg told Judge Jonathan Rose that the cost of repairing the toilet window, the doors and the safe totalled more than £4,000.

In the early hours of the same night Stokes forced his way into Reevy Hill primary school and managed to steal £1500 from the safe after smashing his way into it.

Stokes, of Ferriby Close, Fagley, Bradford, left blood behind at both of those schools and he was later arrested in connection with handling a stolen Volkswagen vehicle.

Today Stokes, who has been remanded in custody, pleaded guilty to the three school break-ins and also admitted handling the stolen car.

Mr Greeg submitted that the untidy searches at the schools and Stokes’ previous record put the case in the sentencing range of between one and five years in custody after a trial.

“You are making a career out of crime and particularly targeting schools,” Judge Rose told Stokes.

“You gave no thought whatsoever to the people that use those schools, to the occupants. To the staff who work there and have to deal with your mess. To the distress it causes to children who come across the results of your untidy searches.”

The judge said Stokes had refused to stop committing such offences and his conduct required a more substantial prison sentence. Judge Rose told Stokes that the starting point for his jail sentence was three years, but his guilty pleas entitled him to a 25 per cent reduction which meant a prison term of 27 months.