SERIAL offender Richard Mitchell, who crept into a church, stole a handbag belonging to a member of the congregation, then drove off in their car, has been jailed.

Judge Roger Connor called the burglary at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Priory Road, High Wycombe, 'a despicable and unbelievable' offence as the court heard how Mitchell stole the bag containing car keys and drove off in the victim's £15,000 VW Golf, which was recovered after police chased him following a separate theft in Bourne End.

Mitchell, 25, of Gayhurst Road, High Wycombe, was committed to Aylesbury Crown Court after admitting to the crime, along with three other burglaries, two offences of driving while disqualified, handling stolen goods and 15 other crimes at Wycombe Magistrates Court on April 26.

Tim Ashmole, prosecuting at Aylesbury Crown Court, said Mitchell had stolen property worth more than £1,500, including two handbags from staff at Vision Hairdressing, Gerrards Cross, on February 14 and then carried out the church raid on March 4.

He added that after being released on bail, Mitchell had burgled Classic Bathrooms, Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, in March, where he stole a briefcase containing £600 worth of property and the previous day he stole a handbag from Summer Management, Crendon Street, High Wycombe, and obtained £300 using a credit card in the bag.

Mitchell had previous convictions dating back to 1990, and a number of aliases.

Edward Nuttall, mitigating, said that the latest crop of crimes had been committed while the defendant was addicted to heroin but was now determined to change for the better.

Judge Connor jailed the defendant for two-and-a-half years concurrent for the burglaries at Classic Bathrooms and Summers Management and two years concurrent for the church burglary. He was also disqualified from driving for six months.