An escaped prisoner serving a three-year jail term for breaking and entering added another year to his sentence after being caught for the same offence while on the run.

Louis Burcher, 40, had absconded from Westgate and entered the Pembroke home of a 53-year-old mother and teenage daughter on September 12 after he thought he spotted plainclothes Policemen.

The mother and daughter had left the house earlier. When the mother returned around 15 minutes later she heard a noise in her daughter's bedroom and she saw Burcher standing there.

Prosecutor Shade Subair said: "She screamed. He walked past her and left."

The daughter's earring was found in the yard and $1 was missing from her bedroom.

Burcher told Magistrates' court yesterday that he had not returned to Westgate because he was worried about his boat which had broken its mooring.

He said: "I was in a panic, I knew Police were after me. I started to run and ran into that lady's house.

"I am guilty for going into the lady's house but it wasn't breaking and entering."

Burcher said prison authorities had already added six months to his term after he had absconded.

Duty counsel Elizabeth Christopher argued that the house was empty when Burcher had entered it and he had meekly walked out when the occupant came home.

But Mr. Subair said this was a ludicrous argument and called for an additional sentence to be imposed.

Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves imposed a 12-month sentence to run after his current term expired for the further offence of breaking and entering. The Crown offered no evidence on a charge of theft and the charge was dropped.