A serial burglar who was chased by a grandmother after filling a pillowcase with thousands of pounds worth of her jewellery and keepsakes is facing another long jail term.

William Price targeted Elizabeth Holder’s home near Old Raglan Road, Abergavenny, in broad daylight, but ran had to run for it when she suddenly returned from a shopping trip.

The brave gran chased the criminal, who also fled with her husband’s green tweed suit, and managed to take a photo of his getaway van which helped police finally nail him.

But not before the brazen 55-year-old, who has already received jail terms totalling more than 14 years behind bars, returned to the area on Thursday afternoon, July 22, to break into a house in Old Abergavenny Road, Llanover, and steal a jewellery box, silver bangle and cufflinks.

This time the raider was captured on CCTV wearing orange shorts and a white vest.

Price, from Darren Las, Merthyr Vale, Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court last week to carrying out burglaries and thefts in the Abergavenny, Chepstow and Cardiff areas between July 6 and August 3.

He also admitted three counts of driving whilst disqualified.

Jason Howells, prosecuting, said Price has previously received jail terms of four years, 78 months and 40 months.

Sentencing was adjourned and Judge Catherine Richards remanded him in custody.

After the Tuesday lunchtime, July 6, raid on Mrs Holder’s home, where she confronted him at her gate, the ‘heartbroken’ gran appealed for help in tracking him down.

Some of the precious items were given to her by her mother, whose grave she had visited that morning to leave flowers.

She told how she came home from shopping to find a stranger leaving the back of her house with a filled pillowcase and the suit.

The gran confronted him and chased him down the street before he climbed into a white Ford Connect transit van and drove away in the direction of Raglan.

The burglar, who was described as white, stocky and in his 50s, had managed to get into the house by throwing a cast iron boot scraper through the back door.

Mrs Holder said the whole thing was over “all so quick”, but despite going into shock, she said she was refusing to “let him get me down”.

The raider took 13 precious items of jewellery, including an aquamarine and diamond gold ring; 18ct yellow gold clip-on opal earrings; a ladies’ vintage stainless steel Omega automatic watch with a blue dial; a 9ct gold topaz ring; and a 18ct white gold solitaire white sapphire ring.

A Gwent Police spokesperson said at the time: “We’re appealing for information following a burglary in Abergavenny in which thousands of pounds’ worth of jewellery was stolen.

“Officers are investigating a break-in at an address near Old Raglan Road which took place on Tuesday, July 6, shortly before 12.10pm.

“The suspect is described as being a white man in his 50s, of stocky build, around 5ft 4 inches tall and had blue eyes.

“He was wearing a pink top and a blue/grey cap along with similar colour trousers.

“The suspect left the scene in a white Ford Connect Transit van.”