A teenager responsible for “a tidal wave” of break-ins pleaded guilty to a string of offences yesterday.

The crime spree netted Elisha Thomas more than $22,000 of jewellery, cash and electronic equipment.

Thomas admitted charges in connection with six burglaries and one attempted burglary in Magistrates’ Court.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo remanded 17-year-old Thomas in custody until February for social inquiry reports.

Mr Tokunbo told the Hamilton Parish teenager: “For a person who has no previous convictions, you have been engaged in a tidal wave of burglaries.

“We need to find out why it has come to this.”

The court heard that Thomas targeted homes in Smith’s, Hamilton Parish and St George’s.

The offences started when Thomas broke into a Hamilton Parish home on June 15.

He later broke into a St George’s home equipped with CCTV cameras.

The cameras recorded him going through a hedge on the property, wearing gloves and a bandana around his mouth.

Thomas attempted to break into another St George’s home on October 20, but escaped through a hedge after a neighbour spotted him.

The court heard the break-in was unsuccessful but that Thomas had damaged a kitchen window in the attempt.

Just over two weeks later, on November 7, Thomas broke into another house in St George’s after he removed a window-mounted air conditioner and broke into a house on Lighthouse Hill in St David’s on November 15.

That home was also equipped with CCTV cameras, which caught him attempting to open a door and jumping behind a nearby set of stairs when vehicles drove past.

Thomas also attempted to block one CCTV camera by covering it with a sock while he broke into the house.

He broke into a home in Smith’s on December 5 and another in St George’s the next day.

The court heard that Thomas at first denied the offences, but started to confess after he was shown a shirt seized from his home that matched one worn by the suspect.

Thomas later assisted police with a reconstruction of some of his crimes and showed police how he broke into some of the homes.

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