A SERIAL housebreaker who ransacked a baby’s room just before Christmas has been jailed for four and a half years.

“Third striker” Antony Cameron was working as an Amazon delivery driver when he raided wrapped and labelled gifts, treasured pocket watches and jewellery worth more than £2,000 from an address in Station Road, Queensbury.

Cameron, 38, of Weyhill Drive, Allerton, Bradford, turned the property over at night while on prison licence.

He struck between December 20 and 21 while the couple and their baby were away on holiday, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Frances Pencheon said Cameron’s criminal record, running to “many, many pages,” included 16 offences of burglary, eight of those in dwellings.

He was already a “three-striker” when he smashed his way into the house overnight and ransacked every room. He was arrested when his blood was found in the master bedroom and a DNA match was made.

Cameron caused more than £1,000 damage when he broke into the house.

He was later seen hiding a large holdall in a garden in the Queensbury area, Miss Pencheon said.

Police recovered the bag and seized a car he was using that was parked nearby. The vehicle contained mole grips and a screwdriver and the stolen Christmas presents. But irreplaceable items, including two “priceless” pocket watches, were never recovered.

Cameron at first denied the offence but pleaded guilty in March. He was on remand in HMP Leeds and recalled to jail until next April, the court was told.

The victims of the burglary attended court to read statements detailing how the crime had affected them. They found it “upsetting and incomprehensible” that he had violated their home, even scattering their baby’s toys everywhere.

“How could any self-respecting individual turn a baby’s room upside down?” the child’s mother asked.

The burglary had overshadowed the couple’s first Christmas with the little boy and left them distressed and out of pocket. The watches had belonged to a grandfather and great-grandfather and were treasured and irreplaceable.

John Bottomley, solicitor advocate for Cameron, said he had written a letter apologising to his victims and tried to get the watches returned to them.

He was depressed and anxious at the time and his chaotic lifestyle had left him with no recollection of committing the offence.

Ten days before he burgled the house, Cameron had attempted suicide and been treated in hospital. A psychiatric report confirmed that he had mental health problems.

Judge Jonathan Rose said Cameron had “the most appalling criminal record.”

House burglary caused shock and horror when people saw that their homes had been violated by a complete stranger.

Judge Rose said he could only conclude that Cameron wanted to sell the stolen items to buy drugs.