A THIEF who targeted five Greenock houses in ONE night has been hit with a near two-year prison term.

Hugh Law, 34, even used the ‘true key’ of one property in an attempt to break in with intent to steal.

He was seen loitering within the curtilage of three other houses and also helped himself to a mobile phone from another property.

Law pleaded guilty on indictment through lawyer David Tod to all of the charges against him.

He committed the offences on December 16 last year at addresses on Inverkip Road and Waverley Street.

Prosecutors said that Law’s presence within the grounds of the properties meant that it could ‘be reasonably inferred’ that he intended to commit theft.

Sheriff Andrew McIntyre imposed jail terms of two, six, two, six and five months — 21 months in total — which he said would run consecutively from when Law was first remanded in custody on December 22.

Solicitor Mr Tod had told Greenock Sheriff Court that Law’s offending happens when he has ‘either needed to feed a drug habit or been under the influence of drugs’.

The Telegraph reported how Law once raided a parked car in Greenock with a screwdriver just a week after he was released from prison.

He was spotted on CCTV grabbing a handheld vacuum cleaner from the rear of a Vauxhall Vectra during a late night raid.

Mr Tod said: “He was released from prison seven days before his arrest.

“He was given a liberation grant of £70 and this money was finished.

“It’s a revolving door and Mr Law is in it again.”