A burglar who targeted elderly women in Bournemouth has been jailed for six years following an investigation by Dorset Police’s Neighbourhood Crime Team.
Thomas Harold Coker, aged 33 and of Ringwood, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and two counts of fraud by false representation. He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 13 February 2026.
The offences took place in the Kinson area during November and December 2024. Coker knocked on doors and used excuses including offering to fix guttering, claiming he had painted a fence before and saying his child had lost a football in a garden.
In each case he distracted the victims, entered their homes and stole purses or handbags containing bank cards. The cards were later used to make fraudulent transactions.
Police Constable Ted Carlton said Coker targeted vulnerable elderly women and distracted them in order to steal their bank cards from inside their home. He added that officers were able to identify him and hold him to account for his actions.
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