Jailed for 30 raids on OAP

He also preyed on schoolboys at the top Roman Catholic public school Ampleforth College, as his brother Steven had before him.

Stuart Kitching, 24, cheated 14 and 15-year-olds out of cash by pretending to buy alcohol for them.

Steven Kitching, 28, was jailed for 30 months last July after he admitted supplying cannabis to boys at the school.

Today his younger brother was also starting a two-and-a half year jail term.

Sentencing Stuart Kitching, Judge Arthur Myerson QC told him: "On 30 separate occasions you stole from an old lady who is clearly quite unable to attend to her affairs with the certainty of care with which those whose age is not so advanced can be expected to do.

"I have little doubt that you knew perfectly well that her security was lax .... and that she was ripe to be exploited in the way you did."

Stuart Kitching, of Valley View, Ampleforth, pleaded guilty to three burglaries and asked for 27 other similar offences to be taken into consideration.

He also admitted five offences of obtaining cash by deception from five pupils at the boarding school by saying he would use it to buy alcohol for them.

Prosecuting, Georgina Kelly said that Stuart Kitching would go into the woman's home and take money which she left lying around. On occasions, he would enter the house while she was there and wait until she had left before looking for something to take.

But he was finally caught by a police "covert camera operation" after the woman went to the police.

For Stuart Kitching, Edward Legard said he only had one previous conviction. The burglaries were sneak thefts.

The family had had a very difficult year, but Stuart Kitching was looking forward to making something of his life.

He was given 30 months for the burglaries and three months concurrent for the deceptions.

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