A 22 year old man whose offences ended with him putting a ligature around the neck of an elderly woman in her own home near Stroud, has been jailed for four years.

Jack Calladine, of no fixed address, who had been taking the hallucinogenic drug LSD, admitted a catalogue of offences of burglary, taking vehicles, and robbery at a hearing at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday (Oct 28).

Jailing him, Judge Ian Lawrie QC said: “It is clear that you lost a grip on reality earlier this year as a result of taking drugs."

The judge had heard how the victim was in her house in Tunley, near Stroud, on March 23 this year when she heard a vehicle outside and thought it was her husband arriving home.

She went to open the front door for him but instead found Calladine outside shouting 'delivery.'

He barged into the house, put a ligature around her neck and pulled it tight, leaving her gasping for breath and fearing for her life.

Calladine made her phone her husband to find out where their car keys were but when her call went to voicemail he simply walked out of the house and left her.

Shortly afterwards a police helicopter located Calladine in nearby Dane Road, Tunley.

The court heard that during his earlier trail of offending Calladine had used a BMW as a battering ram; burgled a house and stolen a van; used a broken bottle to dent the roof of another elderly woman’s car; burgled a friend's house in Gloucester and stolen a pair of trainers and a cap - only to replace them with similar items of his own.

Sarah Jenkins, defending, said: “In 2019 Calladine was in work and had a good relationship with his family but he began dabbling in Class A drugs.

“It is understood that in the latter part of the year he overdosed on LSD, which saw a significant deterioration in his character.

“He now has an insight to the damage that these drugs do to people.

“Since being remanded in custody he has realised the heartache he has put his family through and has committed to being drug free from now on.”

Calladine pleaded guilty to the aggravated vehicle taking on February 22, the burglary on March 21, taking a vehicle without authority on March 23, damaging property belonging to one victim and attempted robbery of another on the same date.

Judge Lawrie QC told Calladine “You are a man with intelligence and skills and have a loving family. But your erratic behaviour caused you to have a gross distortion on reality. I have read your letter outlining your thoughts and your reflection of your offending and the effect it has had on your parents.

“The one offence which is a quantum leap above your other offending is the attempted robbery of a 71 year old woman. You intruded into the home of an elderly victim, you attacked her and you attempted to garrotte her.

“You must have held her by the throat for some time for her to receive the ligature marks that she had around her neck."

The judge jailed Calladine for four years and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £181.