stolen, a court heard yesterday.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis was told that the Pembroke family left Bermuda over Christmas and came back in the New Year to find a television, diamond earrings, a ring and a watch worth a total of $622 missing.

Their home had also been ransacked and so far only the ring, worth about $40, has been found, the court heard.

Yesterday Raymond T. Spence, 30, of no fixed abode, appeared in Magistrates' Court where he pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and stealing from a house.

Sgt. Phil Taylor, prosecuting, said the break-in happened sometime between December 31 and January 1.

A family relative was keeping an eye on the house and Spence was asked to paint the kitchen for $30 while they were away. "He was told that the home was unoccupied,'' said Sgt. Taylor.

He added: "Spence ransacked the apartment, turning items over looking for items of value.'' Spence was arrested by Police on suspicion of house breaking and told officers that he traded some of the stolen items for cocaine.

Duty defence counsel Kim Wilson said Spence was employed at a Parsons Road snack shop, where he was given food and accommodation in return for doing odd jobs.

She said Spence had been involved in alcohol and drug abuse for years, but had been clean for some time.

"With the realisation of his addiction and the impact it is having on various members of the community he has enrolled in a programme.'' The programme was due to start yesterday.

"He slipped back into his old habits and does not want to fall back into that behaviour, hence his reason for enrolling in the programme,'' said Ms Wilson.

In jailing Spence for nine months, Senior Magistrate Will Francis, said: "This was a very bad piece of business.

"You misused the trust put in you and burglarised the place. In addition to breaking and entering you ransacked the place. I would imagine these people were horrified when they returned home.''