A serial burglar who targeted people’s homes as they slept to fund his drug addiction has been jailed for seven years.

Jamiko Bean raided six properties in just five days during a devastating eight-day crime wave that saw him steal more than $10,000 worth of possessions, attack a homeowner, assault and threaten officers, lead police on a high-speed chase and then escape from custody.

The 34-year-old career criminal left his burglary victims terrified and emotionally scarred.

One Southampton woman, who woke up to find Bean in her home in the early hours of the morning, said the break-in had “changed my life forever”.

In a victim impact statement read to the court she added: “I cannot describe how terrified I was. I was hysterical for hours and could barely breathe or sleep.”

Yesterday as he was sentenced for a raft of offences between October 9 and 17, 2015, Bean apologised for his actions saying: “I was not in my right frame of mind, I was trying to find any means of getting high and did not mean to inflict pain on anyone.”

Bean’s crime spree began when he broke into a Camp Road property in the middle of the night and made off with $205 in cash and personal possessions. The homeowner woke to find Bean standing at the foot of her bed staring at her.

Later the same night he targeted a neighbouring house and stole more than $4,200 in jewellery, handbags and cash. The next day Bean raided a North Shore Road home and pilfered $90 in cash, while on October 12 he stole $600 worth of clothing from an apartment on Middle Road in Southampton. Later that afternoon he was spotted hiding in trees on the Railway Trail in Southampton but attacked an officer with a crash helmet as she tried to detain him.

Within 24 hours he had targeted another home in Scenic Heights Pass and stolen jewellery, wallets, handbags and cash worth nearly $4,000.

In the early hours of October 14 Bean broke into a property in Spring Benny Drive, Sandys, and attacked the homeowner when he woke up and challenged him, leaving the man needing five stitches to a head wound.

Later the same day officers detained Bean as he slept outside a Southampton property despite him violently resisting arrest and threatening one officer that he would “f*** ya house up and burn ya daddy’s blue taxi”.

While in custody Bean owned up to his crimes and took police on three “drive-arounds” where he pointed out homes he had burgled. It was during the third of these drive-arounds that he escaped from officers on October 16. Bean went on to steal a motorbike and lead police on a dangerous high-speed chase the next day before he was eventually detained in a Warwick property as he tried to flee from officers. Yesterday at Supreme Court Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves ordered that Bean should serve half, rather than the customary third, of the sentence before he could apply for release on parole.

The judge also ordered that Bean would be supervised in the community by police for three years after his release.

“He has an atrocious record and has been stealing since he was 16,” Mr Justice Greaves said.

“I must take into account the harm he has submitted ordinary members of the community to, and evidently will continue to do once he is freed. “This sentence needs to achieve some peace and rest for the community from him.”

The judge also ordered that when Bean is released part of his parole conditions should include the requirement for him to enrol in a residential treatment substance-abuse programme.

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