A BURGLAR who broke into a pensioner's home and crashed a stolen car within the space of a fortnight has been jailed for four years.

A 74-year-old woman was woken by the sound of Richard Zanone breaking into her home in Derek Gardens, Southend, shortly before 5am on January 17.

He stole items including a laptop and ran off when the victim screamed, but was injured as he fled.

Police carried out a search of the area but Zanone had gone.

Officers were then called shortly after 7.30am with reports an injured man knocking on doors in Alton Gardens.

They found Zanone sitting on a front wall with a broken ankle and called an ambulance. He was arrested on suspicion of burglary when officers found he had the stolen laptop concealed down the front of his coat.

Other items from the burglary were also found nearby.

Zanone was arrested again on January 30 when he was caught driving a stolen Peugeot 206 on the A130 in Canvey.

The car had been stolen from Elm Road in Shoeburyness.

He failed to stop for police and was in collision with a Ford Fiesta and a bus stop in Knightswick Road, after driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

The Fiesta driver was not hurt but Zanone, 42, was taken to hospital before being taken into custody.

Zanone, unemployed, of Rochford Road, Southend, was charged with the burglary in Derek Gardens, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance, driving other than in accordance with a licence and failing to answer bail.

He admitted the charges and was sentenced on March 7 at Basildon Crown Court to a total of four years in jail. He was also banned from driving for four years.