Thief jailed
The drug user who burgled Colleges last term to fund his heroin addiction has been brought before Oxford Crown Court.
Peter Currie pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and voluntarily asked for a further 28 cases to be taken into consideration. During his burglary spree, which lasted from his release from jail on licence in December until February 26, Currie stole items with potential for a quick sale. As reported in last term's Oxford Student, he targeted St Antony's College first before burgling Somerville four times, and Brasenose, Keble and Magdalen once each. In the majority of cases, property worth more than £1,000 was taken.
Currie, 23, a local resident, has a history of committing burglaries dating back to 1991 and was sentenced for burgling college rooms in both 1995 and 1996. He is now on a drugs rehabilitation programme and is said to be confident that he will stop burgling if he can overcome his drug addiction.
Judge Anthony King, sentencing, said Currie had an "appalling record for burglaries". He added that: "Student rooms are particularly vulnerable."
Currie was ordered to serve the remainder of his original sentence and a further three years in prison for the burglaries he had committed since his release.
3rd May 2001