Burglars who targeted substantial isolated properties fired a shotgun into the fridge at a south Warwickshire farmhouse before escaping with cars including a Ferrari and a Jaguar.
But one of the gang, Thomas Black, was caught after traces of his blood were found at the scene of an earlier break-in, Warwick Crown Court has heard.
Black (22) from Coventry but of no fixed address, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to two charges of burglary and asking for 31 other offences to be taken into consideration.
Jailing him, Recorder Anupama Thompson outlined that in February he had taken part in the burglary of a five-bedroom detached house in Tamworth Road, Fillongley in north Warwickshire.
The owners were away on holiday at the time, but someone who had been asked to keep an eye on the house discovered that damage had been caused in the kitchen.
It was established that jewellery and electric items had been stolen, worth around £1,000.
Black was identified as one of the raiders after traces of his blood were found inside, and when he was subsequently arrested he made full admission to that burglary and a number of other offences.
One of those was the burglary of a large isolated farmhouse in Morton Bagot in south Warwickshire.
“That was also a substantial property with significant acreage around it,” observed Recorder Thompson.
The house was searched, leaving what the owner later described as ‘a scene of devastation,’ and property including three televisions, sets of car keys and two shotguns were taken.
The shotguns were taken from a gun cabinet, along with ammunition, and they had been fired inside the house.
One was fired into the fridge and one into a cupboard door, said the judge, at which Black burst out: “That’s not true.”
The raiders then made off, using the keys from the farmhouse to take a Ferrari, a Jaguar and a Land Rover.
Of the other offences Black had asked to be taken into consideration, Recorder Thompson said they were ‘in the main dwelling house burglaries committed between December and March in which vehicles, some of which were of high value, were taken.’
And she told Black: “You have a number of previous convictions for offences including burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.
“You were released from that sentence on the 1st of December, and very quickly you started to commit further offences of burglary.
“You were clearly a member of a group or a gang who were targeting properties where you thought there would be rich pickings.”
