home was yesterday warned he would face a long prison term if he did not clean up his act.

Steven Wayne Somner pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to two counts of burglary and stealing.

Somner, who is serving a six month prison term for unrelated offences, broke into his mother's St. George's home sometime between August 23 and 27 and stole $300 from a bedroom drawer.

Somner entered the home by removing glass louvre panes on the main door, said prosecutor Insp. Peter Duffy.

On August 29, Somner broke in again by the same method, and stole $400 from a bedroom drawer.

Somner was arrested shortly after the thefts were reported and admitted the offences, Insp. Duffy said.

Somner told Police he had no place to stay and used the cash to buy food and drugs.

Somner, who is serving time for obtaining funds under false pretences, has a history of breaking and entering and forgery.

Duty counsel Miss Elizabeth Christopher asked the Wor. John Judge to consider Somner's guilty plea and cooperation with Police when sentencing.

"He's making an attempt to deal with his problems, even in prison,'' she said. "He is particularly remorseful for these offences because it was his mother's house. He plans to pay her back.'' She said Somner had two daughters whom he intended to support when he was released.

"Breaking and entering people's homes is very serious,'' Mr. Judge said.

"Everybody in the community has a right to sleep peacefully in their homes at night without worrying about someone breaking in. Everybody has a right to go to work and return without finding their home has been broken into.

"The normal sentence in this kind of case is prison. The public has a right to be protected.'' But he noted Somner's drug problem was obvious if he could steal from his mother.

For the first offence, Mr. Judge ordered him to complete 200 hours of community service upon release from prison. And he sentenced him to two years of probation, with the condition that Somner attend Addiction Services, for the second offence.

"The people at Addiction Services will do everything they can to help you,'' he told Somner. "But at the end of the day the only person that can help you is yourself. You've got to put your mind to it. You're only 32. If you don't put your mind to it, you will be in and out of prison. And I regret to tell you it won't have a long life. You're killing yourself.'' Mr. Judge will review Somner's performance with Addiction Services on May 17, 1993.