A MAN claiming to be at university studying law has been jailed for a series of “sneak" burglaries across Southampton.

Michael Fontaine would walk in to premises to steal. His victims included a doctor working at the city hospital and teachers at an education support centre.

The 21-year-old, of London Road, Southampton, was on bail for other burglaries when he committed five of his offences, Southampton Crown Court was told.

Now a judge has branded him “foolish and deceitful” as he jailed him for three years.

The court heard how Fontaine stole a laptop and iPhone from the bag belonging to the head of sixth form at St Anne’s Catholic School after walking on to the premises.

Then he stole a mobile phone and Blackberry after going to Junctions education centre in Totton and claiming he wanted to use the toilet.

The following month he targeted the Mango Thai Tapas Bar in Portswood, stealing an iPhone and a second handset.

CCTV showed him trying to open the till.

In May he brazenly walked in to Southampton General Hospital’s radiology department, helping himself to a doctor’s purse containing cash and cards, while in June he went to Bliss nightclub in the city centre pretending he was there for an interview, before helping himself to a £450 mobile phone.

On two other occasions Fontaine sneaked into the homes of people who were in at the time. The first was a flat in St Denys Road, where he stole the victim’s wallet while he was taking a shower. The other was a guest house run by a couple in Landguard Road, who were about to go on holiday when they noticed something unusual and found Fontaine inside.

When they challenged him, he said he was a law student and was looking for a room.

Mitigating, Carrie Shorey said Fontaine, who admitted the burglaries, was “full of promise at one stage”.

Judge Gary Burrell QC told him: “You are from a decent family. You were not committing burglaries because you were hungry, because you had no home, because you came from a deprived background in any way – quite the reverse.”