A HOMELESS Andover burglar branded a “one-man crimewave” has been told by top judges that his jail term was not a day too long.

Lee Stewart James was refused an appeal of his 40-month prison sentence for a plethora of burglary and theft offences by the Criminal Appeal Court.

The 40-year-old was jailed last September following a hearing at Winchester Crown Court where he admitted to carrying out numerous offences across Andover in the space of a month.

The court heard that the bulk of his crimes were committed between May 3 and June 9, targeting shops, offices, sports centres and other commercial premises in the town.

James, a drug addict of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to 10 burglaries and asked for four more to be taken into consideration.

He also admitted 11 theft-related offences which saw him put behind bars for more than three years.

Lady Justice Sharp, sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, heard him plead for a reduction in his custodial sentence.

Sitting with Mr Justice Popplewell and Judge Martin Picton, the judge was told that James had been treated too harshly.

His lawyers had argued that he should walk free and be handed a community sentence with drug rehabilitation instead of jail.

But Lady Justice Sharp did not agree.

She said: “It is simply not arguable that this sentence was wrong in principle or manifestly excessive.”

Making her ruling, she continued: “These offences were in the most serious category, involving ransacking and vandalism.

“There were also occasions when other people were present.

“He created a one-man crimewave in Andover and there must have been a degree of planning for that amount of criminality to take place.”

The appeal court further heard that James “had a shocking record for house burglary” and had appeared in court before on 29 previous occasions.

“This application is refused,” the appeal judge concluded.