A confiscation hearing for a burglar who is serving a six year prison sentence for stealing property worth £290,000 during break-ins at 35 houses in west Suffolk has been adjourned until next week.

Stephen Mainwaring targeted unoccupied detached houses in rural villages while the owners were out or on holiday during a two year spate of offending.

In November last year Mainwaring, 51, of Shepherd’s Grove Industrial Estate, Stanton, admitted five burglaries at properties in Great Barton, Stowlangtoft, Norton and Ixworth, theft of two cars and a motor bike and possessing a shotgun and ammunition without a certificate.

He asked for 30 burglaries to be taken into consideration.

Today (Tuesday) he appeared at Ipswich Crown Court via a prison video link for a confiscation hearing under the proceeds of crime act.

The hearing was adjourned until next week to allow further information to be obtained.

The court heard Mainwaring was arrested after his DNA was discovered on tools left at one of the burglaries. Police recovered two stolen cars and a significant amount of stolen property including a shotgun from his home.