Aggravated burglary - At 2am on July 10, 2017, a 23-year-old woman had gone to bed at her home in Avon Way.

At around 3am on she woke to find Ashton standing close to her bed.

He was holding a kitchen knife and wearing a balaclava and gloves.

He ordered her to hand over her debit card and PIN, which she did.

He claimed her friend, whom she shared the house with, was tied up and then tied the victim’s hands behind her back and tied her ankles using cable ties.

Ashton told her not to scream or do anything or her friend would be hurt, then turned off the light and climbed out through a window.

The victim waited about 20 minutes before calling her friend and police were called.

It was found £500 had been withdrawn from her bank account at a nearby cashpoint.

Aggravated burglary - On August 14, 2017, a 24-year-old woman was asleep at her home in Acacia Avenue with her baby when she woke at around 4.45am to see Ashton, wearing a balaclava and gloves, standing at the end of her bed.

He was holding a knife he had taken from her kitchen drawer. Ashton tied the victim’s wrists together with cable ties.

He demanded money and took £10. He then took food from the fridge before leaving.

When he left she went to her next door neighbours’ home for help and police were called.

The victim told police that Ashton added her as a friend on Facebook the day before the burglary. They had exchanged messages but had not met.

Police found graffiti including a pentagram drawn on the kitchen wall.

Burglary – A house occupied by students in Tippett Close, Colchester, was burgled in December 2013. The male victim was away during the Christmas break at the time.

When he returned, more than 40 of his Xbox 360 games had been taken and graffiti was left at the scene.

Burglary – A student flat on the University of Essex campus in Colchester was burgled in January 2014. Ashton stole money and a laptop from the female victim and left graffiti at the scene.

Burglary – A maisonette in Alefounder Close, Colchester, was broken into in March 2017.

The victim was female and known to Ashton. She was out at the time and when she returned to find a cup of hot chocolate had been left on the floor, a bottle of wine had been opened and mostly drunk, about £20 was stolen and an underwear drawer had been searched through. Graffiti was left at the scene.

A restraining order made in court today was in relation to this victim.

Burglary - A student house in Purcell Close, Colchester, was broken into between March 28 and April 11, 2017.

Food including mayonnaise had been strewn around and items smashed. A set of underwear was found laid on top of a bed.

Graffiti had been written on the walls including a pentagram.

Burglary – Ashton broke into a home occupied by male students in Purcell Close, Colchester, in April 2017. They had gone on holiday and returned to find Playstations, shoes and cash missing.

There was graffiti in the hallway including a pentagram.

Burglary – Ashton broke into a house occupied by students in Avon Way, Colchester, in May 2017.

Two laptops and a purse were stolen, an underwear drawer was searched and graffiti left at the scene. The contents of the fridge were on the floor.