A MAN who burgled the homes of elderly residents in his own small village has been jailed.

Among the victims of Michael McLarnon in Wootton, near Woodstock, was a man with dementia.

The spree began on December 9, when the 36-year-old, of Church Street in the 500-resident village, knocked on the door of a Mr Lowe in nearby Castle Road.

At Oxford Crown Court on Thursday, prosecutor Matthew Corrie said McLarnon asked to use the man’s phone to make travel arrangements to see a family member in Ireland.

He left, saying he would return to receive an incoming call, and went back to the property 20 minutes later where he asked for a cup of tea.

Mr Lowe later discovered about £40 had been taken out of his wallet.

Three days later, at about 8pm on December 12, McLarnon knocked on Mr Lowe’s door once again and asked if had a car or money for a taxi.

Mr Corrie said the 64-year-old victim later checked his jacket and found items were missing and that rooms in his house had been entered.

Just an hour later, McLarnon went to the address of 77-year-old Joan Bowen, whose husband has dementia, in Church Street.

While McLarnon spoke to the husband he asked Mrs Bowen for some stamps, which she fetched from upstairs.

Later that evening she discovered £130 in cash had been taken, along with her car keys and her Vauxhall Zafira.

At 4.20am the following morning the car was recovered in St Giles, Oxford, and McLarnon was arrested while in possession of 25 diazepam tablets.

A search of his property also revealed a commemorative coin and a 10-shilling note stolen in an earlier garage burglary.

McLarnon admitted four burglaries, taking a vehicle without consent, driving without insurance and possession of a Class C drug. He has 30 previous convictions for 99 offences.

Judge Anthony King jailed McLarnon for 33 months and banned him driving for a year.