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Serial raider Jay Welch thought his life was going down the pan... when he left a palm print on a toilet during a burglary.
The 32-year-old had slid in through a window at the house in Holly Lane, Margate, knocking over a plant pot - and leaving his loo clue.
That break-in left Welch, of Kingston Avenue, Margate, facing a minimum three-year jail term under the three-strike burglary rule.
After his arrest, he made a plea to probation officers that he wants to stop his thieving and tackle his drug addiction.
Now Judge Adele Williams has delayed Welch's sentencing to explore the possibility he could be given treatment for his addiction – rather than an immediate jail sentence.
Prosecutor Donna East told Canterbury Crown Court how householder Helen Pritchard had left her home in the morning – only to find it had been burgled when she returned in the early evening in September.
Welch had stolen a laptop, a bag and a watch. He later sold the computer to a pawnbroker for £90 and it was recovered and returned to his victim.
The burglar - who has already chalked up 27 previous offences – had been sentenced to a three-year prison term in 2011 for another break-in.
After the latest cat-burgling exploits, he told police he carried out the burglaries to fund his drugs habit, but had now asked for treatment despite his unsuccessful attempt to kick the habit 10 years ago.
Judge Williams told him: "You are facing a mandatory minimum three-year sentence, but the probation report indicates that you might have got to the point where you might be able to respond to residential drugs treatment."
She adjourned sentence until January for the preparation of further reports – and told him he had to show a commitment to tackling the drugs problem.
Judge William said: "Unlike the kind of commitment you have shown over the many years, you have been dealt with by the criminal justice system.
"You need to reflect on that and you should be under no illusion that I won't send you to prison on the next occasion.
"But I need to find out if you really want to change and take advantage of the help that's available. You need to show you have the motivation to break this appalling and dreadful cycle where you burgle other people's houses in order to fund your drugs habit."
Welch was remanded in custody until the next hearing.
