Prolific burglar and drug addict Moustafa Rattab was imprisoned for a total of three years and 146 days after admitting breaking into a St Albans home.

The 32-year-old, of Five Acres, London Colney, has been jailed twice before for burglary and before sentencing asked for a number of other offences to be taken into consideration.

The last time he was caught was two months after release from prison, when he was found with stolen property following a burglary in Lattimore Road, St Albans on November 1, last year.

Rattab, who turned to heroin and cocaine after family problems, committed numerous break-ins across the town to feed his drug addiction.

Several were while he was on bail for burglary or theft offences, or while released early from prison.

His defence said in mitigation the father of an 11-year-old son, had been a drug addict for 11 years.

A “family bereavement” caused “a lot of” domestic upset with his parents splitting up and Rattab becoming homeless.

The law changed ten years ago so that anyone convicted of a third burglary after serving their sentence must receive at least three years in prison – known as the third strike rule.

Sentencing at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday Judge Breen said: “There is no alternative than to impose a custodial sentence of some length.”

Rattab will be released after serving half the sentence, with 92 days spent on remand counting against it.