A BURGLAR posed as a homeowner's relative and arranged for the contents of her house to be removed and auctioned off.

David Perry, 26, had no criminal record when he decided to become a "career burglar" as a way to support his lifestyle, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

The devastated homeowner, Lisa Brown, came back from working overseas to find her house ransacked and virtually empty.

Even her Audi car had been taken and sold off.

Police tracked down some of the items to an auction house at Nottingham Cattle Market, and Ms Brown fainted as she saw them being sold.

"It's what I have collected and acquired as the years have gone by – it's as if somebody has stolen your memories," said Ms Brown, 62.

"Can you imagine seeing all your furniture and somebody bidding for it in front of you?"

Ms Brown has lived in the house in Lenton for 17 years, but now intends to move to the country.

"I have two alarm systems now but I still don't feel safe," she said.

"Every time the phone rings I feel somebody is going to tell me it has been burgled again. I don't feel safe sleeping there. I literally barricade myself into the house."

The entire contents of the ground floor of the three-storey house in Harlaxton Drive, Lenton, had been removed.

Ms Brown estimates that 60% of her home's contents were taken and more items had been lined up to be removed at a later date.

Items taken included furniture, paintings, ornaments, antiques, dishes, cutlery and even food and bottles of wine.

"I couldn't even imagine the extent until I walked in," Ms Brown said.

"I didn't have a chair or a table in the kitchen to sit on. I couldn't have a cup of tea. I had to leave and stay in a hotel for the night."

Perry, of no fixed address, was also present at the auction where Ms Brown fainted.

Police arrested him, and after being prosecuted he was jailed for three years and three months for offences of burglary, attempted burglary and possessing a knife.

Judge Jonathan Teare said he was guilty of an "extremely serious" type of burglary.

The judge added: "Before any of these matters came to court you were a man of good character, but when you started on a career of crime you started in a big way."

Perry pleaded guilty to burgling the house in Harlaxton Drive, Lenton, another in Harrow, and asked for four further burglaries and one attempted burglary to be taken into consideration.

He also admitted possession of a knife in a public place, after police found him carrying the 5in blade, along with a crowbar, screwdriver and gloves.

The burglary in Lenton happened while Ms Brown was away working between January 21 and February 23.

Ms Brown praised police, who discovered that Perry had hired a removal firm to take the items in broad daylight over two days.

"They were absolutely fantastic," she said. "I can't tell you how wonderful they were. Very shrewd and supportive and so polite."

Of the items stolen, Ms Brown estimates 80% have been recovered, but some were damaged.

"They literally dumped it into a van," she said. "It's so careless. So callous."

Ms Brown's car and £15,000 of items have not been recovered.

caroline.lowbridge@nottingham eveningpost.co.uk