Craig Daignault, who carried out a series of area burglaries with his then-girlfriend to support their need to inject up to 20 bags of heroin a day, turned to one of the victims and apologized as he was sentenced Tuesday in New London Superior Court to three years in prison. 

"I am truly sorry, sir," he said. "There's a lot of people that have suffered."

Daignault, 32, said he knew one of the people who died from a heroin overdose recently after a deadly batch of the drug hit the streets in the New London area. He said he realizes it could have been him.

"I'm very grateful," he said.

Heroin and opiate addiction, which police and prosecutors say drives the majority of burglaries, larcenies and robberies committed in the region, has continued to take a toll this winter. 

A spokesman from Lawrence + Memorial Hospital said Monday that the hospital treated 26 people for heroin overdoses between Jan. 27 and Feb. 8.

New London police said a 47-year-old man and a 53-year-old man died of suspected heroin overdoses on Jan. 28 and Jan. 30.

A 21-year-old Stonington woman died of a suspected heroin overdose on Jan. 25.

A 31-year-old Montville man died in Ledyard from a suspected overdose on opiate pain pills on Jan. 30, according to police.

The spike in heroin and opiate overdoses and deaths prompted area police to mount a unified response and the newly formed nonprofit group Community Speaks Out held a vigil for families of addicts Thursday in New London. 

Burglary victim David Zupnik of Salem, who also spoke last month at the sentencing of Daignault's former girlfriend, Tiffany Bauer, said he thought the sentence was too short.

Zupnik, who said he had a career in law enforcement, told Daignault to take a long look at him, because he never wanted to see him again.

"I hope you get straightened out, young man," Zupnik said.

Daignault's family members, some of them crying, sat in the front row.

Judge Hillary B. Strackbein imposed the sentence of 10 years in prison, suspended after three years served, followed by five years probation.

She said Daignault would have seven years of prison "hanging over his head" if he used drugs or violated any of the other conditions of probation.

"You hurt a lot of people," Strackbein said. "How would you feel if it (the burglary victim) was your mom?"

According to the state, Craig Daignault and Bauer carried out a series of daytime home burglaries in East Lyme, Lyme, Old Lyme and Salem in September 2014, pawning the stolen electronics, silver and jewelry for pennies on the dollar.

Bauer, who provided police with a full confession after entering treatment, told police she and Daignault were injecting 10 to 20 bags of heroin a day.

On Sept. 17, 2014, Daignault and Bauer were attempting to break into a home on Jericho Drive in Old Lyme when the elderly couple who lived there arrived home.

Daignault fled into the woods after the homeowners blocked Bauer's car in the driveway.

Bauer got into the victims' car, which was still running, and started to reverse with the driver's side door open, striking the couple and causing them to fall to the ground. The couple refused medical treatment.

Bauer is also serving a three-year prison sentence.

Daignault's attorney, Anthony R. Basilica, said Daignault has been clean and sober and is truly remorseful.

"He admits to what he did, and he can't believe what he did," Basilica said.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN