A BURGLAR who was caught after leaving his door key in the pensioner's house he had broken into has written a letter of apology from his prison cell.Mark Cossington, 36, was jailed for three-and-a-half years earlier this month after being convicted of burglary of a house in Eye.

A BURGLAR who was caught after leaving his door key in the pensioner's house he had broken into has written a letter of apology from his prison cell.

Mark Cossington, 36, was jailed for three-and-a-half years earlier this month after being convicted of burglary of a house in Eye.

The court heard Cossington – who had 127 previous convictions – had broken into the house of an 80-year-old woman in Church Street on December 4 last year.

He rounded up items to steal when he was disturbed by the pensioner. Cossington fled, but his front door key and key fob – which had his name written on it – was found at the scene.

Cossington, of Elizabeth Way, Eye, has now written to the East Anglian Daily Times from his cell at Norwich Prison,expressing his remorse and apologising to his elderly victim.

“I would like to show my utmost remorse for what I've done. I've now got to spend the best part of two years of a three-and-a-half-year sentence that I received and I accept that,” he said.

“I do not go around robbing old ladies. It was a very bad thing to do, I know. Yet again I apologise not only to the person involved, but to everyone in my village for the probable embarrassment I've caused certain members of the community that know me.”

Sentencing him, Judge John Holt said Cossington had 21 pages of previous convictions, the majority of which had been for burglary, and had received every punishment available to the court.

He added: “Since the incident the victim has not been able to sleep very

well and she feels more vulnerable in her own house. It is quite clear that you must go to prison.”

In his letter, Cossington said: “I am not a prolific burglar and am, believe it or not, a nice guy who has made a lot of mistakes in life. I had an horrendous upbringing, I was 'taught' that crime was right at an early age.

“This burglary was totally out-of-character. I have never in my life felt so ashamed, embarrassed and regretful for what I have put that lady through.”

At his trial, Cossington had denied burglary and claimed he had been set up by an unnamed “hard man” from whom he had borrowed £500, but could not pay it back, and had lost his key the week before the burglary.

Speaking after the trial, a Suffolk police spokesman said: “This is an offender who has caused a great deal of distress to the people of Eye.

“We are very pleased with the result of the case, which gives a clear indication that this type of persistent crime will not be tolerated by the community.”