A BURGLAR wore a curly black wig and a red cape while wielding a pickaxe during a crime spree.

Lee Print, 42, was captured on a CCTV camera from the home of one of his victims dressed in the bizarre disguise, Newport Crown Court heard.

The defendant appeared for sentence after he admitted a burglary and three attempted burglaries in Rhymney, Caerphilly.

The offences took place during the early hours of the morning of Sunday, October 29 last year.

Hannah Friedman, prosecuting, said when Print was arrested he was wearing a blue Calvin Klein baseball cap he had stolen after a burglary on Price Street.

The attempted burglaries took place on High Street and Colenso Terrace.

One of the attempted burglary victims nearly came face to face with him as he tried to break in through her back door after smashing glass.

“It frightened the life out of me,” she confessed in a victim impact statement.

“I keep running through my head what could have happened.

“This incident has changed me – it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The curly black wig, red cape and pickaxe were all recovered by the police.

Print pleaded guilty to all the offences.

He has 17 previous convictions for 44 offences and was jailed for burglary in January.

Julia Cox representing the defendant has had “an opportunity to reflect on his behaviour” while in prison.

He had been suffering from drug and alcohol problems at the time, she added.

Judge Simon Mills told Print: “The thought that somebody wanted to come into their house carrying a pickaxe and look through their things, it's hardly surprising that some of your victims say they have been so badly affected by these offences.”

The defendant, now of Cardiff Prison, was jailed for 15 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge following his release from prison.