A SERIAL burglar with Parkinson’s disease who was found collapsed on the floor of a Worcester flat he had broken into after suffering a seizure has been jailed.

Shaun Willmott, aged 46, of Lichfield Avenue, Ronks-wood, Worcester, was taken to hospital but was abusive to paramedics and threw a blanket at a policeman guarding him in a cubicle.

He tried to escape but was caught after a member of the public helped the officer to overpower him.

In other incidents he burgled a city nursery, threatened to kill a security guard at Royal Worcester in Severn Street and stole a woman’s handbag from the Guildhall, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Defence counsel Jason Aris argued his worsening disease would make it “unjust” to impose a three-year jail sentence under the “three strikes” rule.

But Judge Richard Rundell said although he sympathised with his illness, it was no excuse for serious crime.

He gave Willmott two-and- a-half years’ jail after reducing the minimum sentence for his guilty pleas.

The judge said the defendant had twice been granted bail but carried on offending. Willmott broke into Wyatts Muse but was found by a woman and two men in the kitchen after they returned at 10.30pm on March 7, said Kerry More-ton, prosecuting.

During a struggle at the hospital, he kicked the officer on the leg.

He also broke into Kinddercare nursery in Worcester Road but the noise alerted the occupant of a neighbouring flat and he was arrested.

Willmott, who admitted burglary, theft, assault, threatening behaviour and resisting arrest, was checked by the security officer after he threw a bag down and waved his arms about in the street.

He kicked a football at the victim, swore and pushed him.

At the police station he threw a shoe at an officer and damaged his clothing by grabbing him round the neck.

Willmott had three previous convictons for house burglaries and seven for other raids.

The high doses of medication led to strange behaviour, said Mr Aris.

He was forced to give up his job with a window firm after being diagnosed in 2000. A gambling addiction made him commit crimes of dishonesty.

Mr Aris said the disease’s progress would restrict his offending in the future.