Dunedin man Jason Mark Adams was jailed last July on his 25th conviction for burglary, was released in November and then committed another six burglaries.
The 31-year-old recidivist offender was addicted to both alcohol and methamphetamine and had amassed a sizeable bank debt since his release.
His weekly benefit was spent on rent and debt payments leaving him to fund his $500 a week addiction from crime, the facts summary said.
Adams was before the Dunedin District Court yesterday on six charges of burglary, two of unlawfully taking vehicles, three of stealing from shops and one of using a stolen credit card.
He pleaded guilty to all charges and counsel Anne Stevens did not ask for bail.
Judge Michael Crosbie convicted Adams and remanded him in custody for sentence on June 22.
The first offence was the daytime burglary of a house in Samuel St on December 19. Adams stole a digital camera, a cellphone and a ‘‘payWave’’- enabled Kiwibank debit card.
He and a woman friend used the stolen card to buy $79.10 of petrol and other items from Mobil Forbury, and $52.90 of cigarettes from the Sports Dairy in Hillside Rd.
Adams later exchanged the camera and cellphone for drugs.
A series of burglaries and thefts followed, starting with the night time burglary of a South Rd house on January 12 when Adams stole a television, a wallet containing $200 cash and a BNZ bank card, a small purse containing $25 cash and the keys to the family’s Citroen car.
He took the car which was parked in the street, damaged the front right corner while doing a U-turn then hid the vehicle in the Southern Cemetery until he retrieved it and sold it for drugs the next day.
Two thefts from the Bottle O liquor store in Princes St were committed on January 22 (a $49.99 bottle of gin) and January 27 (a $61.99 bottle of Jack Daniels).
On February 6, Adams returned to the Samuel St property. He was disturbed by the owner, talked to him about buying a car and, as he was leaving, entered an open shipping container from which he stole two bottles of whisky, a rechargeable torch and a small digital camera (total value $233). He drank the whisky and sold the torch and camera for drugs.
The next day he stole three bank cards from a wallet in an unlocked car in the driveway of a Mitchell Ave property. He gavethe cards to his drug supplier in exchange for methamphetamine.
He then walked across the road and broke into a double storey converted rest-home from which he stole a television, two Freeview boxes amd some pillows. After hiding the items down a driveway, Adams returned to the house and stole a cellphone before its owner woke up and disturbed him.
Police found most of the property later the same day but Adams said he had sold the cellphone for drugs.
From Mitchell Ave, he went to Oakwood Ave and stole a $200 bicycle which he abandoned in Forfar St.
On February 15, he and a friend stole a $200 Subaru from Forfar St. It was later recovered undamaged.
Adams went to Farmers department store with two friends on February 27 and stole a hair straightener and toiletries valued at $280.96. On March 1, he stole an honesty box containing $3.80 from a building in Stafford St.