A career criminal has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after being caught on camera prowling outside a Warwick home.

Coltrane Ratteray, 46, was captured on CCTV lurking on a family’s back porch in the early hours of September 28, 2013 and attempting to enter their home before getting a drink from an outdoor refrigerator and leaving.

Police reportedly recognised the defendant from the footage, and arrested him on November 3.

Ratteray denied committing the offence but was convicted this summer following trial by a majority verdict of 11 to one.

While Ratteray did not take the stand during his Supreme Court trial, he told the court at his sentencing hearing yesterday that he had not attempted to enter the house, and was only searching the property because he had run out of gas.

“I just made a bad decision on a night when I had a jam,” he said.

“I didn’t try the door and windows. I actually was trying to get some gas.

“I took the water out of the fridge for something to drink, but I had no intention of going into the house.

“I made a wrong decision by going onto the porch in the first place.”

He claimed he had not seen the recordings shown to the court before the trial, but Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons said his story was “rather far fetched” and she could not take it into account on sentencing because it was not put before the jury.

The court heard that Ratteray had a nearly 30-year record of previous convictions including prowling, burglary, stealing and trespassing, and was on probation when the most recent offence occurred.

Prosecutor Maria Sofianos described Ratteray as a “prolific and persistent” offender who cost his victims their sense of security in their own home, calling for a sentence of between four and five years behind bars.

However, defence lawyer Marc Daniels called for leniency, saying Ratteray had accepted culpability and expressed remorse for his actions, and knows he has been caught up in a vicious cycle of offences and convictions.

Delivering her sentence, Mrs Justice Simmons said that while the offence in itself was not the most serious, it had a lasting impact on the victims, who no longer feel safe in their own home.

And she said while the defendant had expressed remorse, he continued to deny the video evidence that had been put before the court showing him at the windows of the victim’s home, saying: “You tested the windows. Your intention was not a mystery to anyone.”

Given all the circumstances, she sentenced Ratteray to three-and-a-half years behind bars with time served taken into account. She also ordered the prison sentence to be followed by a three-year period of police supervision, during which he will have to report to police on a monthly basis.

She also ordered that Ratteray enrol in any appropriate rehabilitation programmes while in custody, but warned the defendant that such opportunities can only work if he is willing to take advantage of them.