A SERIAL hustler is today waking up behind bars after pleading guilty to burglary.

Razwan Ali, of Barkerhouse Road, Nelson, had been due to face trial for stealing £90 after talking his way into his victims’ home, but entered a last-minute guilty plea.

He was jailed at Burnley Crown Court for 21 months yesterday.

Rachel Woods, prosecuting, told the court Ali, 29, had knocked on at a house in Whitehall Street in the town at around 5pm on March 22, last year. A woman answered the door. Ali said she was there to speak to her partner and asked if he could escape the poor weather.

He was allowed into the living room where he helped himself to £90, intended as rent money, as the woman went to shout for her partner upstairs.

Miss Woods said he told the pair he was selling cheap tobacco and was asked to leave.

Shortly after, they noticed the money was missing and called police.

Miss Woods said: “The victim was able to provide a description and a local police officer, knowing the defendant and his history, immediately identified him as a suspect and he was arrested wearing a jacket matching the description given.“He declined to answer any questions although he had a prepared statement denying any wrongdoing.

“He was later identified by the complainant as being responsible.”

The court heard how Ali had several previous convictions for similar offences including tricking a charity out £40, and selling an Xbox games console that its unwitting buyer later realised was actually bottled water in a shoebox.

Defending, Mark Stuart said: “Mr Ali knows a custodial sentence is inevitable.

“There is no real reason for him to be committing these offences because he was in employment at the time.

“His position is this, he was not addicted to drinking or drugs or gambling.

“It seems to me that he has been short of money for whatever reason and under these circumstances the offences have been committed.

“He saw the money and the temptation was too much and he took it.”

Judge Jonathan Gibson said: “Quite frankly, your recent offences show that you sought to talk people, by deception, into parting with their money.”

Ali was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100.