A BURGLAR has been given a last chance by a judge to turn his back on a life of crime by beating his drug addiction. Colin Michael Roberts, 32, burgled the east Hull home of neighbour Liam Casey when he knew Mr Casey was out.
Roberts, who has more than 50 previous convictions, was caught when forensic scientists discovered his fingerprints on a money box.
Now, after Roberts admitted his guilt, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said he had been tempted to send him straight to prison.
However, he decided it would be better for the public in the long run if the serial criminal were given help to beat his addiction.
He told Roberts: "I cannot predict that this will work but, given the motivation you appear to have demonstrated, there is a reasonable chance it will.
"If you breach it, you will be going to prison for at least 12 months. I'm throwing you a lifeline. If you have any sense, you will seize it and make it work."
Hull Crown Court heard Mr Casey returned to discover his house in Cyprus Street had been ransacked.
Roberts was identified as the culprit when his fingerprints were discovered on the money box.
Prosecutor Mark Kendall said: "Mr Casey was spending a lot of time at his girlfriend's home in York.
"He was contacted by the police and was informed there had been a break-in at his home.
"He discovered the front door had been smashed and there was broken glass on the floor of the living room. The back door had also been smashed and the vinyl floor was covered in glass.
"All the cupboards and drawers were left open and all the rooms had been searched.
"The police examined the scene and fingerprints were discovered on a novelty money box. "
The police arrested Roberts and discovered the stolen property at his home, including a mobile phone and charger, an electric razor, a Sky box and CDs.
He initially told them he had purchased the stolen CDs from a drug dealer, until he was informed his fingerprints had been found in the house.
Roberts, formerly of Cyprus Street, then told the police he was aware his neighbour had been burgled and had gone into the house to have a look, before finally pleading guilty.
His barrister Nigel Clive said: "This is a defendant who has been struggling in the grip of a drugs addiction for sometime. He burgled his neighbour's home and there is no excuse for that and he realises that."
Roberts has 54 previous convictions for burglary, supplying drugs and taking vehicles without consent.
Judge Richardson QC sentenced him to a 12-month community order and a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement.
Judge Richardson told Roberts: "You have a bad record for a range of crimes of dishonesty and a number of crimes of burglary.
"You have, however, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and there can be no doubt at all the reason you committed these catalogues of crimes is because of your addiction to drugs.
"The pre-sentence report says unless something is done in a structured way in the near future, you are going to offend further and get longer sentences.
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