The unavailability of addiction counselling or treatment for prisoners on remand led Senior Magistrate Archie Warner last week to release a Warwick man on bail.

Mr. Warner released 37-year-old Troy Ming of Warwick Close in Warwick on $1,000 bail and like surety with the understanding that he would attend counselling and "other remedial drug services'' at Mission Home -- a drug rehabilitation centre.

Ming was convicted earlier last week of a spate of break-ins where he posed as a Belco worker to gain access into homes. Mr. Warner had ordered that he be taken into custody at that time, to avoid any further incidents.

During the plea session of Magistrates' Court on Thursday Ming readily admitted four incidents he had previously denied. He explained that his guilty plea was delayed because he wanted to make restitution to the victims.

Ming stole a gold chain and gold medallion worth $700 from the home of John Paiva on March 23, $90 in cash from Margaret Spencer Arscott on April 1 and admitted he intended to steal when he entered the homes of Trudi Pugh in Paget on April 3 and Elisabeth Redford on Knapton Hill in Smith's on March 27.

Ming entered the homes in each case, posing a Belco worker with a scam story that he needed to make checks because of power surges. In some instances he even had the residents watch an outside meter for red flashing lights, as he entered their homes and stole.

In court proceedings on Thursday he said that he had returned the stolen jewellry to Mr. Paiva and paid back the $90 to Ms Spencer Arscott. He apologised for his actions and blamed a drug addiction problem.

"It was a situation where I was out of control. I had no control, it's not me,'' he said. "I've been in treatment programmes for over 12 years and I had a lapse.'' Greg Seymour, director of Mission Home an treatment centre owned and operated by the First Church of God was in the court and explained that Ming had been working closely with them for several years but had "strayed away and become ten times worse''.

"We are willing to work with him,'' he said. "He is a talented electrician.

He needs counselling which we offer. We are willing to take him in and we can work closely with probation services and give reports to the court.'' Concerned that no treatment would be extended to him for the six weeks he would remain on remand pending a social inquiry report, Mr. Warner released Ming on $1,000 bail and a like surety to appear for sentencing on June 1.