A MASKED raider who tied up two women after breaking into their homes taunted police with haunting graffiti during a four year campaign of fear.

Conor Ashton began targeting homes in Greenstead which he knew would be empty before university students returned after holiday periods in 2013.

But by last year his behaviour had escalated to standing over women as they slept dressed in a balaclava and using plastic cable ties to bind them while he rooted around their homes.

He broke into one house in Avon Way in July 2017 and held a large kitchen knife as he told the female occupant not to scream and that he wanted her debit card and pin number.

HOW POLICE EVENTUALLY TRACKED DOWN CONOR ASHTON

Ashton, 24, then told the victim he would not hurt her and tied her arms and legs together before warning her if she screamed, her friend upstairs would be attacked by an accomplice.

After 20 minutes of waiting she called out and her friend came down to untie her - she had not been hurt.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Search - an officer on the way into Ashton’s home

A month later he broke into a house off Acacia Avenue again armed with a knife.

He again tied up the victim and said: “Tell the pigs I had fun on Avon Way, I already know my next target - it will be next week sometime.”

Ashton then drew a pentagram on the wall - a star inside a circle - which is a supernatural symbol and graffiti which labelled himself as a stalking ransacker followed by the words, ‘guess who’s next’.

BREAKING: 'STALKING RANSACKER' CONOR ASHTON JAILED FOR 12 YEARS FOR TERRIFYING RAIDS

Shortly after the raid, police searched Ashton’s home in Purcell Close, Colchester, and found a black rucksack with cable ties and gloves in his bedroom.

Experts also matched the “unusual” handwriting on the victims’ walls with that on application made to Colchester Institute while analysis of a computer showed he had searched for British Army forensic science and the original Nightstalker - a notorious murderer and rapist from the USA.

During the string of previous burglaries, Ashton also drew pentagrams on the walls and messages including ones which said ‘police suck’ and ‘the stalking ransacker - media attention’.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Arrest - Conor Ashton’s home in Purcell Close was raided last September

In some instances he rooted around the underwear drawers of female victims and helped himself to hot chocolate and wine.

He also sampled mayonnaise.

Ashton initially denied being involved in the raids, but has now admitted eight burglaries and two aggravated burglaries.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, Richard Conley, mitigating, told Chelmsford Crown Court Ashton had an incredibly traumatic childhood which may have led to his offending and had been a model prisoner since his arrest almost a year ago.

He said: “This series of offences would be more at home in a bad Hollywood movie than a court room in Essex.

VICTIM SPEAKS ON TRAUMA A YEAR AFTER BEING TARGETED BY CONOR ASHTON

“It seems he was seeking some sort of escapism from a life that had not always been kind to him.”

Sentencing will continue today and Ashton was warned to expect a substantial prison term.