Sullivan Lee, 24, of no fixed address, broke into a home on Hardwick Road in Toft, Cambridgeshire, on March 18, stealing a Dachshund puppy named Peggy, six firearms, a blue Mini car, and keys for a Toyota Hilux.

He also ripped two firearms cabinets from the wall during the burglary.

CCTV footage later showed Lee driving a black Audi S3 in convoy with the stolen Mini.

Officers identified him, and DNA evidence found inside the abandoned car linked him directly to the crime.

The vehicle was recovered in Northamptonshire on March 24.

The Audi had been stolen days earlier, during a burglary in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, on March 14.

Peggy the Dachshund was found abandoned four days after the burglary and safely returned to her owner following a media appeal.

Police later connected Lee’s DNA to a separate burglary in Little Eriswell, Brandon, Suffolk, on May 10, during which around £800 worth of jewellery was stolen.

Lee pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and theft of a motor vehicle.

He was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on March 31.

PC Andy Smith, from the Southern Acquisitive Crime Team, said: "Thankfully in this case, Peggy was found and returned to her owners.

"Lee repeatedly targeted people’s homes with no regard for the fear and distress he caused.

"We hope this sentence offers some reassurance that we will continue to pursue and bring prolific burglars to justice."

© Eastern Daily Press