A CAREER criminal who stole over £8,000 of booze and cigarettes from supermarkets during a ‘five-week period of madness’ was found with a checklist of all the places he had targeted.

David Marsh was found to be responsible for four burglaries after police found a handwritten note in the boot of his car containing a list of postcodes corresponding with the places he had either already raided, or planned to hit next.

An end was put to the 46-year-old’s spree when officers were alerted to a break-in at Tesco on Wyre Street in Padiham in September.

Police tracked down Marsh and his accomplice after the number plate of their vehicle, which had been picked up by CCTV, was traced to Haslingden.

Prosecutor Francis McEntee explained that Marsh, of HMP Preston, had pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary of a commercial premises and one count of going equipped for stealing.

He said: “Those counts represented a number of burglaries of supermarkets throughout August and September of last year.

“Without going through each of the offences in detail, what can be said if that if they were taken individually, they would look like impromptu and unsophisticated acts of burglary.

“But what does become apparent when the offences are considered, is that there is a certain slickness about the way in which they were commissioned.

“It is apparent that on each occasion, this defendant, typically together with two other persons, has gained entry to a store – entry is achieved by throwing a paving slab or something of that nature at the main window.

“Entry is made and either alcohol or cigarettes are taken and the trio are in and out in about two minutes with not insignificant hauls.”

Other supermarkets Marsh and his accomplices targeted during the period included Sainsburys in Darwen and a Tesco Express in Hindley, Wigan.

In total, over £8,000 of cigarettes and alcohol was stolen over the various offences.

Mr McEntee added that the defendant had been before a court on 41 previous occasions for 115 offences.

He added: “Burglary of commercial stores seems to be the defendant’s job in trade.”

However defence barrister Wayne Jackson said his client had made great strides in making a better life for himself in recent years.

He said: “At the time he was bingeing on cocaine and heroin.

“But prior to these events there had been a significant gap in his offending when he seems to have met his partner and for once, turned his life around."

At Preston Crown Court, Judge Andrew Jefferies QC sentenced Marsh to 33 months in prison.