A JUDGE rejected a barrister's plea to spare his client from jail and told him: "The best I can do is limit the amount of time in custody."

Paul Power was locked up for a year after he admitted sneaking into a house and stealing cash from a coffee table.

The burglary was committed in July last year while the 25-year-old was serving a community penalty for a similar sneak-in theft from a pub.

Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday how Power, of West View Road, Hartlepool, had 28 previous convictions for dishonesty and driving offences. He was able to sneak into the house in Jesmond Road, Hartlepool, even though the owner was there because he had left the door open as it was such a hot day.

His barrister, Robin Turton, told judge John Walford he faced a stark choice when sentencing Power, but admitted that custody was justified.

Mr Turton said that Power had made some effort to get his life back on track since the offence, by seeking help for his drug habit and undertaking an engineering training scheme.

But Judge Walford told Power: "You have to be sentenced for burglary - a mean offence when you took advantage of the warm weather to sneak into someone's home and steal money.

"That sort of behaviour unnerves everyone and has to be treated seriously."

He said putting Power on another community rehabilitation order, when he committed a crime while already serving one, would send out the wrong signal.