A burglar who stole priceless family jewellery from his friend was told ‘maybe life begins at 41’ – as a judge gave him a final chance to turn his life around.

Matthew Webb, 41, could have expected a five year jail sentence for breaking into his friend’s room at the O’Hanlon House hostel in central Oxford last November.

But after spending months on remand getting himself clean of drugs, Judge Ian Pringle QC imposed a three-year community order as a direct alternative to custody.

It will see him spend the next 12 weeks at a residential drug rehab in Weston-super-Mare before undergoing two years’ worth of drug tests with addiction service Turning Point.

Judge Pringle said: “This is your chance. They say life begins at 40. Maybe with you it will begin at 41."

Earlier, Oxford Crown Court heard that Webb made three attempts to break into his friend’s room at O’Hanlon House hostel at around 3am on November 9. He was successful on the final attempt.

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said Webb stole around £100 in £1 coins, £50 in loose change and he also opened a box containing jewellery that belonged to his victim’s late mother.

The burglar swiped a gold chain necklace, a single diamond earring and a gold bracelet. The jewellery was of ‘sentimental value’ to the victim, Ms Olliver said.

The prosecutor told the judge ‘Mr Webb has previous convictions’, prompting an interruption from the bench: “That’s an understatement. He has no less than 60 previous convictions, which at the age of 41 is going some, for no less than 118 offences.”

His previous convictions included five offences of dwelling burglary and six non-dwelling burglaries.

That made him a ‘third striker’, subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of three years’ imprisonment – although the judge said the aggravating features of his latest break-in meant he would have received around five years.

Judge Pringle said: “For the first time, I think in his life, he has of his own volition decided he cannot bear this revolving door of offending, going in and out of prison.”

Webb had been assessed by Turning Point as suitable for a scheme, run in partnership between Oxford Crown Court and HMP Bullingdon, that would see him receive a lengthy drug rehabilitation order in the community as an alternative to prison.

The judge said he was taking an ‘exceptional course’. “You’ve spent most of your life either on drugs or alcohol or both, as a result of which you have spent most of your life – and you’re now 41 – going in and out of prison.”

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward