A burglar who broke into his former girlfriend's home while she was asleep upstairs has been jailed for two years.

Paul Luttman, 46, of Christmas Street, Gillingham, used a pair of garden shears to force his way into the property in the early hours of Saturday, September 27, 2014.

He smashed a kitchen window and left the house with her purse and bank cards, which he used to steal £500 from her account.

Luttman was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court after being found guilty of burglary and two counts of theft.

In addition to being locked up, he has also been given an indefinite restraining order preventing him from going near the woman.

Luttman’s crimes caught up with him, when CCTV footage showed him attempting to withdraw cash from her bank account from cash machines in Chatham, Rochester and Strood.

Forensic evidence was also found at her home in the Marlborough Road area of Gillingham.

DC Roger Harris said: "Burglary is a dreadful crime and the victim in this case endured a terrifying ordeal when she was woken in the middle of the night by her ex-partner breaking in downstairs.

"Paul Luttman claimed she had given him the bank cards prior to him visiting the ATMs but the jury saw through his lies and he will now serve time behind bars as a result.

"I hope this case sends a clear message to others that Kent Police takes a zero tolerance approach to domestic abuse and burglaries, and that there is no excuse for such behaviour."