A PROLIFIC offender stole underwear after tearing through a Southampton house while the owner was on holiday.

Steven Hoile took the underwear after forcing his way into the home on Peartree Road. 

The heroin addict also took documents, a tent, and a silver pocket watch after a messy search of the property this year.

The 40-year-old of Tennyson Road, Southampton ripped open drawers scattering the contents across the floor.

Southampton Crown Court heard how he was spotted by the housemate of the owner who was on holiday at the time.

When the housemate arrived, having called the owner to tell her what was happening, he found the front door had been forced open, possibly with a crowbar.

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He went on to find a seven-man tent, which had come from the home, discarded nearby, as well as the documents which included passports.

A black handbag was also recovered following the incident on April 21 but the underwear and pocket watch were never found.

Hoile, who has 90 convictions for 229 offences including two other home burglaries, was identified due to DNA evidence at the scene.

He was also picked out of an identity parade but told police that he had nothing to do with the burglary, denying even attending the address.

He pleaded guilty and having been subject to supervision from probation at the time, he was remanded in custody but twice refused to leave his cell to attend sentencing.

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After refusing to attend court on Friday, Keith Cutler CBE sitting as a deputy circuit judge said: “I take the view that he is trying deliberately to avoid being sentenced today.

“I am not at all confident that if I adjourned it he will attend on the next occasion”.

Hoile, who had been taking heroin at the time of the offence, was jailed for three years in his absence.

Mitigating, Ed Wylde said his client had taken responsibility for his actions adding that the pre-sentence report showed he is “motivated to change”.

He said his client has poor mental health having been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder.

But Judge Cutler said this was a “serious burglary” and that “he has so many previous convictions that he is now a third-strike burglar”.