A serial burglar broke into elderly people’s houses to rob them to fund his “craving for drink and drugs".

Jimmy James Hoofe, 36, targeted victims as old as 87 as part of a spree of crimes lasting several months across the Leigh area.

Bolton Crown Court heard how he often “burst into” his victim’s homes in broad daylight.

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC said: “In short, over a period of time in order to satisfy your craving for drugs and alcohol you targeted a number of individuals in their own homes.”

He added: “This is part of a chain pattern of acquisitive offending behaviour."

Leigh Journal: The case was heard at Bolton Crown CourtThe case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

The court had previously heard from Hannah Forsyth, prosecuting, how Hoofe’s reign of burglaries and robberies had taken place between September 20 2021 and March 2 last year.

During that time, he robbed a 77-year-old, he threw a brick through a window forcing the homeowner to run out, he threatened a man with a pair of scissors and injured a woman who “courageously” tried to persuade him to leave.

Hoofe, of no fixed address, Leigh, also robbed another elderly woman in her own home, forced his way into and robbed the home of an 87-year-old victim and robbed a 74-year-old man with arthritis.

This left his victims with, as Judge Clarke said, “not just physical injuries but significant anxiety and psychological harm".

But further crimes still followed when Hoofe targeted another 87-year-old man in his own car and then burgled a farm on a “remote location” in Leyland.

After he was finally arrested, Hoofe pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary, four counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, another count of fraud and a final count of assault with attempt to rob.

Rachel Cooper, defending, argued that Hoofe deserved credit for having pleaded guilty and for having expressed at least some measure of remorse.

The court also heard how because of his condition Hoofe struggled to remember many of his crimes but now accepted that he had indeed committed them.

But Judge Clarke said that having reviewed the case he could show “no hesitation” in concluding that the 36-year-old was dangerous.

He sentenced Hoofe to a total of 14 years in prison.